• l-r: Vice President, Corporate Affairs, AB InBev, Andrew Whiting; Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa; Oliver Alawuba ; Chief Executive Officer, UBA America, Sola Yomi-Ajayi; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, United States Department of State, Joy Basu; Vice President, Business Council for International Understanding(BCIU), Pete Nonis; at the BCIU and US Department of State Networking Reception, sponsored by UBA America on the sidelines of the IMF- World Bank Meetings in Washington DC on Monday
UBA America, the United States subsidiary of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has hosted diplomats, government officials and business leaders to a networking reception in partnership with the esteemed Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and the U.S. Department of States in Washington DC.
BCIU is a non-profit association, comprising policy experts, strategic advisors, and trade educators, and offers bespoke commercial diplomacy services to the world’s governments and leading organisations, from Fortune 100 companies to global investors and multilateral institutions.
The event, which was held on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF World Bank Spring Meetings, was organised by the BCIU and US Department of State to enhance collaboration and fortify commercial diplomacy among nations, institutions and individuals.
Speaking during the event, UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, noted that the bank’s co-hosting of the event, via its American subsidiary, underscored its commitment towards cultivating robust relationships within the development communities in the United States.
He said: “As a distinguished member of BCIU, a non-profit organisation providing customised commercial diplomacy services, UBA Group and UBA America share BCIU’s vision of actively pursuing strategic opportunities, contributing to global economic cooperation, deepening of economic diplomacy, facilitating ideas, forging partnerships, and adding value for all stakeholders.
“Our resolve to co-host this Networking Reception symbolises our dedication to fostering inclusive economic growth and partnership across borders. By leveraging platforms like this, we can collectively address shared challenges and seize opportunities for sustainable development.”
In 2023, the Chief Executive Officer, UBA America, Sola Yomi-Ajayi, was appointed to the Board of BCIU, where she collaborates with fellow board members to ensure the organisation operates in alignment with its by-laws and New York 501(c)3 non-profit legislation.
Yomi-Ajayi has been committed to nurturing long-term organisational growth and sustainability, thereby reinforcing the bond between UBA America, BCIU, and the broader international community.