Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa, through its UBA Foundation, on Friday held its light up ceremony to mark the start of the festive season.

At the UBA Foundation gardens in Lagos, where the bank is headquartered, the garden lights were activated by UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka.

Uzoka was joined by other key management staff and some customers of the bank.

Uzoka, who is also the chairman of the UBA Foundation, emphasised that giving back was the main tenet of the UBA Foundation.

He said: “We have over the years, engaged in various activities aimed at appreciating our host communities all around Africa and especially in countries where we operate and so for us, these lights symbolise hope for the future and all the goodness it will bring into people’s lives.

“It is hard to believe that we have been in this pandemic for almost two years. People have lost friends and family members and businesses decimated by the effects of the pandemic. There has been a general feeling of hopelessness but our desire is to fill people’s lives with hope once again.”

The UBA Foundation has been very active in combatting the spread of COVID-19 across Africa as the bank donated over $14 million to its communities across Africa to support the fight against the pandemic.

This year, the Foundation will be feeding tens of thousands of people across Africa through its annual Food bank initiative where food, hygiene products and other gifts items are handed over to those who have less, especially during the festive season.

The CEO, UBA Foundation, Mrs. Bola Atta, said that the light up ceremony was important for the Foundation adding: “This goes beyond lighting up the Marina and adorning the streets with beautiful colours. It reminds us as an institution of our promise to continue to touch lives and treat our communities with kindness. We are living in very difficult times and a little gesture to put a smile on even one face, goes a very long way. We should all endeavour to do whatever we can, within our power, to uplift others.”

The lighting ceremony was witnessed by members of staff and customers, and featured Christmas carols by UBA’s CFC choir, as well as a guided tour around the beautiful UBA Foundation Garden at the Lagos Marina.

UBA Foundation, the CSR arm of the UBA Group, is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities in which the bank operates, focusing on development in the areas of Education, the Environment, Economic Empowerment and other Special Projects.