What UBA Côte d'Ivoire does

UBA Côte d'Ivoire is a commercial bank subsidiary of the publicly listed United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA Group), headquartered in Abidjan at Plateau Imm Kharrat, 2e Et, Boulevard Botreau-Roussel, and licensed by the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO). Founded as a UBA Group entity in 2008 and rooted in the 1949 heritage of the British and French Bank Limited, it serves retail consumers, small and medium enterprises (PME), and corporate clients across Côte d'Ivoire. The bank operates as part of one of Africa's largest banking franchises, which serves more than 45 million customers across 20+ African countries plus international offices in the UK, France, the USA (UBA America — the only sub-Saharan African bank with a US deposit license), and the UAE (DIFC, Dubai). Group leadership comprises Tony O. Elumelu as President and Oliver Alawuba as Group Managing Director/CEO.

The product set spans current and savings accounts (Compte Courant, Compte Épargne), prepaid, debit, and Platinum cards, consumer and corporate loans, money transfer services (Ria, MoneyGram, Western Union, plus UBA's proprietary UBA Africash and UBA Connect for intra-Africa corridors), trade finance, and bancassurance. The digital stack is built around the proprietary UBA Mobile App (iOS and Android, biometric authentication), Internet Banking, the E-Alert notification service, E-Statement, UBA RedPay mobile payments, Bank to Wallet for mobile-money interoperability, and the E-CNPS integration with Côte d'Ivoire's social security fund. The Leo chatbot, an NLP-based conversational interface deployed via Facebook Messenger, fronts account inquiries and basic transactions. Group-level compliance is anchored by ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and PCI-DSS adherence.

Revenue mechanics combine net interest income from lending (personal, SME, corporate, and investment financing), transaction and service fees on money transfers, accounts, and cards, recurring bancassurance commission, and trade finance fees on letters of credit and guarantees. Go-to-market is a multi-channel model: physical branches and ATMs for retail and SME, dedicated corporate relationship managers for enterprises, self-service digital channels for individuals, pan-African referral banking for multi-country corporates, and CSR/community programs (UBA Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation, GMAP training, SODEFOR reforestation) for brand and ecosystem building. Pricing is set out in published Conditions Tarifaires for individuals and enterprises and in transaction-based structures for remittances and cards.

Name

UBA Côte d'Ivoire

Legal name

United Bank for Africa Plc

Website

https://ubacotedivoire.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UBA Côte d'Ivoire is a BCEAO-licensed commercial bank subsidiary of UBA Group, providing retail, SME, and corporate banking — including accounts, cards, mobile/internet banking, cross-border money transfers, loans, and bancassurance — to individuals, small businesses, and enterprises in Côte d'Ivoire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Account & Balance Services (Operating accounts, statements, eBAM) (FSABAIAD)

Keywords

• Commercial banking services
• Retail banking
• Corporate banking
• Digital banking
• Money transfer services

Headquarters

HQ city

Abidjan

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Revenue from lending activities including personal loans, SME financing, corporate loans, and investment financing. Core banking revenue stream for a commercial bank.
2. Transaction and Service Fees: Fees from money transfers (Ria, MoneyGram, Western Union, UBA Africash, UBA Connect), account maintenance, card services, and digital banking services
3. Bancassurance: Insurance products distributed through banking channels including multi-risk home insurance and other coverage products
4. Trade Finance: International trade facilitation services, letters of credit, and guarantee services for corporate clients across 20+ African countries and international markets

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UBA Côte d'Ivoire is a commercial bank providing retail and corporate banking services in Côte d'Ivoire, including current and savings accounts, lending, money transfers, cards, bancassurance, and digital banking channels such as mobile app, internet banking, and the Leo AI chatbot. It serves individual customers, SMEs, and large corporates through a branch and digital network, leveraging the pan-African infrastructure of its parent United Bank for Africa Plc.

Product overview

UBA Côte d'Ivoire is a subsidiary of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, operating as a pan-African commercial bank. Its digital banking platform consists of a core retail and corporate banking infrastructure with multiple integrated service modules. The personal banking suite includes current and savings accounts (Compte Courant, Compte Épargne), supported by digital channels (UBA Mobile App with biometric authentication, Internet Banking, and the AI-powered Leo chatbot for Facebook Messenger). Card products span prepaid, debit, and Platinum tiers. The money transfer ecosystem combines proprietary services (UBA Africash, UBA Connect) with third-party networks (Ria, MoneyGram, Western Union). For businesses, the offering encompasses SME accounts, ZLECAF trade financing, cash management services, working capital and investment financing, and guarantee facilities. Ancillary services include E-Alert notifications, E-Statement delivery, Bank to Wallet transfers, and bancassurance products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leo: Digital banking assistant/virtual banking service for customers
• UBA Mobile App
• UBA RedPay App
• UBA Africash
• UBA Connect

Products and services

• Compte Courant (Current Account)
• Compte Épargne (Savings Account)
• UBA Mobile App
• Internet Banking
• UBA RedPay App
• Carte Prépayée (Prepaid Card)
• Carte Débit (Debit Card)
• Carte Platinum
• UBA Africash
• Prêts et Paiements (Personal Loans and Payments)
• Bancassurance Products
• Compte PME (SME Account)
• UBA X ZLECAF
• Cash Management Services
• Working Capital Financing (Financements d'Exploitation)
• Investment Financing (Financements des Investissements)
• Bank Guarantees and Surety Bonds (Cautionnement)
• UBA Connect

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 million+ customers served globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SODEFOR (Société d'Exploitation des Ressources Forestières)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2025Partnership signed August 9, 2025 for a major reforestation project, demonstrating UBA Côte d'Ivoire's commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection in Côte d'Ivoire.
• Ria Money TransfercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRia Money Transfer is a global money transfer service integrated into UBA's branch network, allowing customers to send and receive international remittances through UBA outlets.
• MoneyGramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMoneyGram international money transfer service is available at UBA branches, enabling customers to access global remittance services through UBA's extensive branch network.
• Western UnioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWestern Union money transfer services are available through UBA branches, providing customers with access to one of the world's largest international money transfer networks.
• UBA AfricashcoreTechnology or IntegrationUBA's proprietary intra-African money transfer service enabling fast and secure cross-border transfers within Africa through UBA's pan-African network.
• UBA ConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationUBA's proprietary cross-border banking service allowing customers to transfer funds across UBA's network of 20+ African countries and international offices.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Tony Elumelu Foundation is a pan-African entrepreneurship support organization that has enabled over 27,000 entrepreneurs across 54 African countries, complementing UBA's mission of African economic development.
• Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO)coreOthersCentral bank of West Africa that licenses and regulates UBA's operations in Côte d'Ivoire and other West African countries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Société Générale Côte d'Ivoire: Leading Ivorian commercial bank subsidiary of Société Générale group offering retail, corporate, and digital banking. Direct in-country competitor with similar full-service offering and strong corporate banking franchise.
• Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO): Nigerian banking group with pan-African expansion, strong digital banking innovation, and reputation for retail banking quality. Competes with UBA in Nigeria and across West African markets.
• Access Bank Plc: Nigerian bank with rapidly expanding pan-African footprint across 15+ countries, offering retail and commercial banking. Closely comparable to UBA in product mix, growth strategy, and West African origin.
• Ecobank Transnational Incorporated: Largest pan-African banking group by geographic footprint, operating across 35+ African countries with retail, corporate, and digital banking services. The most direct competitor to UBA's pan-African model, including competing head-to-head in Côte d'Ivoire.
• BICICI (BNP Paribas): Ivorian subsidiary of BNP Paribas, one of the long-established commercial banks in Côte d'Ivoire providing retail and corporate banking. Competes directly for corporate clients and high-net-worth segments.
• NSIA Banque Côte d'Ivoire: Major Ivorian-owned commercial bank with strong retail and SME franchise in Côte d'Ivoire. Direct competitor with strong local brand recognition and growing regional footprint in West Africa.
• Banque Atlantique (BCP group): West African banking group subsidiary of Banque Centrale Populaire (Morocco), with operations across multiple WAEMU countries including Côte d'Ivoire. Regional competitor with similar corporate/retail focus and cross-border trade finance products.
• Zenith Bank Plc: Major Nigerian commercial bank with West African operations and corporate/retail banking focus. Comparable in product offerings and customer segments to UBA's commercial banking franchise.

Broad incumbents

• Standard Bank Group: Africa's largest bank by assets, headquartered in South Africa, with pan-African presence across 20+ countries. Broader incumbent offering corporate, investment, and retail banking with a stronger South African anchor than UBA.

Regional players

• Coris Bank International: West African banking group headquartered in Burkina Faso with operations across WAEMU countries including Côte d'Ivoire. Regional competitor focused on SME and corporate banking with growing digital capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UBA_Cotedivoire
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UBACôtedIvoire1/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ubacotedivoire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uba-cote-d-ivoire
• Instagraminstagram.com/ubacotedivoire

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UBA Côte d'Ivoire