UBA powering youth potential through fast-track career program.

According to UBA's top management, the initiative aims to reduce unemployment rates across Africa. It is designed for young African, aged 28 or younger and holding a bachelor’s degree, who are able to begin a career in banking after six months of training. 

With the Graduate Management Accelerated Program, UBA under the leadership of its founder Tony O. Elumelu of Nigeria, is breaking down barriers to employment and democratizing access to opportunities in the financial sector.

“I started my career as an intern many years ago with little more than ambition, a thirst for knowledge, and an unwavering commitment to excellence,” Elumelu shares. 

His words reflect the spirit behind GMAP, a program open to all and rooted in excellence and opportunity.

UBA’s goal with GMAP is not only to build a strong pipeline of future leaders for the bank, but also to instill a culture of excellence among Africa’s youth. 

By promoting cultural and skills diversity, the initiative contributes to UBA’s pan-African identity while addressing youth unemployment, a serious issue plaguing the continent.

Over 30 young Cameroonians have benefited 

Since its launch in Cameroon in 2023, GMAP has completed four editions. So far, the bank's officials said, over 30 young Cameroonians have been trained and placed in positions within UBA, both at the head office and across branches. 

The GMAP journey begins with a call for applications. Candidates undergo multiple tests, and only the best are selected for training under the UBA Academy. The six-month program blends theory and practice. 

“Each month, we had one week of online classes followed by three weeks of hands-on training in a branch. We rotated through departments like credit, treasury, operations, audit, human resources, and more,” one of the beneficiaries, Loraine Mewoli, a graduate of the second cohort, now working in the Marketing Department said, as she shared more insights on the impact created so far. 

“It’s a great program which opens doors, broadens minds, and helps you see your future from new perspectives,” she adds. 

Mewoli who holds a telecommunications engineering degree said she expected to be placed in the IT department but ended up in Marketing. She however said she’s comfortable and loves her role in the institution.

According to Jude Anele, Managing Director of UBA Cameroon, the Graduate Management Accelerated Program reaches beyond a career starter, stating that it is a launch pad into leadership. 

“GMAP is more than an integration program. It’s a leadership school designed to build the next generation of African leaders," he said, adding that through GMAP, UBA is not just recruiting talent, its transforming lives and shaping the future of Africa’s financial leadership.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3486 of Friday June 27, 2025