UBA African Technology Award win highlights the bank’s AI-powered payments, digital banking innovation and cross-border financial services

Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has won the African category at the 2026 Banker Technology Awards, earning recognition for its innovations in digital payments, e-business solutions, and the application of artificial intelligence to strengthen cross-border banking across more than 20 African countries.

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The award places UBA among the leading financial institutions driving technological transformation across the continent, following a competitive process that attracted nearly 200 submissions across 17 regional and product categories.

According to the organisers, the 2026 awards reflected the growing role of technology as a core component of modern banking operations, spanning payments, compliance, lending, and customer engagement.

In its assessment, The Banker highlighted UBA’s technology-led growth strategy, noting that the bank had established itself as a leading digital operator by placing innovation at the centre of its expansion across Africa.

The UBA African Technology Award recognition was largely driven by the bank’s integration of Leo, its artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), enabling customers to send money across borders in local currencies through a conversational banking interface.

Receiving the award on behalf of the bank, Executive Director Designate, Digital Banking, Emmanuel Lamptey, said the future of African banking would be shaped by innovation, interoperability, and trust rather than physical infrastructure.

“Africa’s financial future will not be built on branches or borders. It will be built on intelligence, interoperability, and trust at scale,” Lamptey said.

He explained that Leo was developed to address the longstanding challenges associated with cross-border transactions across Africa.

“Across a continent where cross-border transfers have historically been slow and costly, Leo reduces friction at the point of transaction, removing reliance on traditional banking channels without requiring customers to change how they communicate,” he added.

In a related development, UBA announced the relaunch of its RedApp mobile banking platform following a major upgrade designed to improve customer experience across its markets.

The redesigned application offers a faster and more intuitive banking experience, allowing customers to manage accounts, transfer funds, and access digital banking services more efficiently.

Speaking on the upgraded platform, Group Head of Brand, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, said the bank remains committed to raising digital banking standards.

“At UBA, we are constantly raising the bar on what digital banking should feel like. The new RedApp is faster, cleaner, and built around how our customers actually live and bank,” Ladipo said.

She encouraged customers to download the upgraded application and explore its enhanced features.

UBA serves more than 45 million customers globally and operates in 20 African countries as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates.

The bank employs about 25,000 people and continues to expand its digital banking footprint through technology-driven financial solutions.

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The latest recognition underscores UBA’s growing influence in shaping Africa’s digital banking landscape and advancing financial inclusion through innovative technology.