Onome Amuge
UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa, has expanded its social intervention footprint across the continent, distributing food, school supplies and cash support to vulnerable communities in Nigeria and 19 other African countries in which the lender operates.
The initiative, carried out under the Foundation’s Food Bank and Giving Back programmes, reached more than 100,000 beneficiaries between November 2025 and January 2026, according to the bank. The timing reflects a strategic focus on periods of heightened financial strain, particularly around the year-end and the start of the new school term, when low-income households often face pressure.
UBA, one of Africa’s largest banking groups by footprint, has increasingly positioned its social investments as part of a strategy to embed community resilience alongside commercial expansion. The latest round of interventions showcases how large financial institutions are using scale and geographic reach to deliver social impact across multiple markets, at a time when governments across the continent are facing constrained fiscal space and rising humanitarian needs.
In Nigeria, the programme spanned all six geopolitical zones, with outreach to orphanages, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and vulnerable households. Beneficiaries included orphanage homes in Abia, Ebonyi, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Taraba, Kebbi and Jigawa states, as well as IDP camps in conflict-affected areas such as Borno and Niger states. Items distributed ranged from non-perishable food and school materials to direct cash assistance.
Bola Atta, managing director and chief executive of UBA Foundation, said the initiative reflects a long-term commitment rather than episodic charity. Speaking during visits to several beneficiary centres in Lagos, she said the Foundation’s interventions are designed to deliver sustained outcomes rather than one-off relief.
“At UBA Foundation, we believe that true development begins with compassion matched by action. Our goal is not only to provide immediate support, but to restore dignity and create pathways for children and families to learn, grow and thrive,” Atta said.
She added that nutrition and access to basic educational materials remain central to the Foundation’s approach, given their role in cognitive development and long-term human capital formation. “Equipping young people with the tools to learn, alongside the nourishment needed for physical wellbeing, is essential if communities are to break cycles of vulnerability,” she noted.
Beyond Nigeria, similar programmes were implemented across UBA’s African network, reflecting the bank’s pan-African operating model. Since its establishment, the Foundation has aligned its activities with education, health and social inclusion, areas that executives say are closely linked to long-term economic development.
