Ten years ago, UBA set out to build a digital banking experience that could scale across borders and reach millions of customers beyond traditional branches. Today, that ambition has materialised into one of Africa’s most widely adopted banking platforms—powered by a long-running collaboration with fintech enablement company VERICASH and technology services firm CWG.
The anniversary was celebrated in the last quarter of the year, a time when banks across the continent are reassessing digital strategies and doubling down on platforms that have proven their ability to scale.
The UBA Mobile App, developed on the VERICASH platform, has surpassed 10 million downloads and is active in more than 20 countries. Built on a scalable fintech enablement foundation, the platform allows UBA to deliver consistent digital banking services across mobile and other digital channels while supporting growth across diverse markets.
Behind the scenes, a UBA-dedicated Centre of Excellence, established by VERICASH in collaboration with CWG, supports the platform’s operations, scalability, and continuous service delivery across multiple markets. Rather than a traditional outsourcing arrangement, the Centre of Excellence functions as a strategic extension of UBA’s digital teams, aligning technology execution with the bank’s long-term business objectives.
For UBA, the collaboration has been a key driver of financial inclusion. Shamsideen Fashola, Group Head of Retail and Digital Banking at the bank, said the partnership has helped bring millions of previously unbanked customers into the formal financial system.
“This partnership with VERICASH has been instrumental in positioning UBA as Africa’s premier digital banking institution,” Fashola said. “We made banking accessible to the unbanked, enabling millions of Africans to participate in the formal financial system from the comfort of their homes.”
CWG CEO Adewale Adeyipo described the decade-long collaboration as evidence of what sustained partnerships can achieve in Africa’s fintech ecosystem.
“Over the last decade, our collaboration with UBA and VERICASH has proven what is possible when technology and vision come together,” Adeyipo said. “We remain committed to enabling even greater innovation, scale, and financial inclusion for millions across the continent.”
From VERICASH’s perspective, the partnership has validated its fintech enablement and strategic partnership approach. Executive Chairman Ashraf Zaki noted that the collaboration has produced solutions that now serve as reference points for digital banking in Africa.
“With the VERICASH platform at the core, supported by our strategic partnership services, we have been able to deliver solutions that empower banks and financial institutions to scale with confidence,” Zaki said.
As African banks increasingly rely on long-term technology partnerships to compete and expand, the decade-long collaboration between UBA, VERICASH, and CWG offers a clear example of how fintech platforms, operational partners, and financial institutions can work together to build digital infrastructure at scale.
