History-made as Central Bank Approves Mohamed Samoura As UBA Sierra Leone MD and CEO

Sierra Leone’s central bank has officially approved Mohamed Alhajie Samoura as UBA Sierra Leone‘s Managing Director and CEO. Samoura, who has been serving in an acting capacity for a year, is the first Sierra Leonean to lead UBA’s local subsidiary since 2008.

The approval, known as the “No Objection,” was granted by the Bank of Sierra Leone on January 30, 2024, following the endorsement of Samoura’s nomination by the UBA Group Office and the UBA Sierra Leone Board of Directors in December.

Samoura succeeded Usman Isiaka and is the sixth MD-CEO of UBA-SL in the past sixteen years. Since assuming his role, Samoura has made significant strides, building upon the achievements of his predecessors. He has doubled the bank’s revenue, profitability, deposits, account openings, and risk assets. Samoura is deeply committed to the UBA brand and has invested substantially in the local market.

With close to two decades of experience in the Sierra Leone banking industry, Samoura is a highly accomplished banker. His contributions have been recognized, as he was listed among the 100 Most Outstanding Executives in Sierra Leone by the Sierra Ovation Awards and Top 5 Financial Leaders. Under his leadership, UBA Sierra Leone received numerous accolades, including the prestigious 2023 Bank of the Year award from the Banker’s Financial Times UK and the Climate Positive Bank of the Year award at the 7th Environmental Care Awards.

Samoura holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science and an MBA in Marketing. His appointment aligns with UBA Group’s strategic focus on localizing the bank’s governance, products, and services across the 20 countries where it operates. This move undoubtedly supports human capital development across the continent, empowering local staff to uphold global best practices.

UBA Group operates in twenty African countries: the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, and the United Arab Emirates. Offering retail, commercial, and institutional banking services, UBA is at the forefront of financial inclusion and cutting-edge technology. As one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, UBA employs over 30,000 people worldwide and serves more than 37 million customers globally. UBA Sierra Leone currently boasts over 400,000 customers and aims to be the undisputed leading financial services institution in Sierra Leone’s banking sector.