Sierra Leone at 65: UBA Stands Out as a Fast-Growing Bank — BSL Governor

By Abubkar Hashim, Freetown

The Governor of the Central Bank of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ibrahim Stevens, has showered encomiums on the management of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) in Sierra Leone, under the leadership of Alhaji Mohammed Samoura, stating that the bank meets all banking parameters and thresholds required to compete effectively with any bank in West Africa.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the just-concluded IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Stevens is a financial economist specialising in monetary economics.

Alhaji Samoura is a versatile and seasoned banker, as well as the first indigenous Sierra Leonean to become Managing Director of UBA.

Since becoming Managing Director, he has significantly boosted the profile of the bank in terms of deposits and profitability.

Samoura has also opened doors for other Sierra Leoneans to rise to various positions, not only within UBA, but also in other banks across Sierra Leone.

He has maintained an open-door policy for all staff and insists on results in tasks and assessments.

He has zero tolerance for failure. He exudes charm and a friendly demeanour towards all staff, irrespective of tribe, ethnicity, or religion.

Investigations within the UBA Group in Nigeria revealed that he is widely admired for his capacity to deliver results, even at short notice.

Today, the bank is rated as one of the leading banks in the country and is poised to maintain its leadership role as Sierra Leone celebrates 65 years of independence.