Meet Emmanuel Nnorom, the man who replaced Tony Elumelu as UBA chairman

• Tony Elumelu retired as UBA Group Chairman after reaching the maximum tenure allowed by CBN rules.

• Emmanuel Nnorom officially became Group Chairman on August 21, 2026.

• Nnorom previously served as CEO of UBA Africa, Group COO, Group CFO and Non-Executive Director.

• UBA says his experience positions him to lead the bank through its next phase of growth across Africa and international markets.

After years of steering one of Africa's biggest banks, Tony Elumelu has officially stepped down as the Group Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Emmanuel Nnorom is now the man in charge.

The bank confirmed the leadership change in a post shared across its social media platforms on Wednesday, officially welcoming Nnorom as its new Group Chairman.

Nnorom assumed office on August 21, 2026, following Elumelu's retirement after completing the maximum tenure allowed for non-executive directors under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) corporate governance guidelines.

Announcing the appointment, UBA wrote:

"We welcome Mr. Emmanuel N. Nnorom as the new Group Chairman of United Bank for Africa Plc."

The bank added: "A seasoned business leader and chartered accountant with over four decades of experience."

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For many people inside the bank, Nnorom isn't exactly a fresh face.

Before becoming chairman, he had already spent years in top leadership roles within the UBA Group. His previous positions include Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa, Group Chief Operating Officer, Group Chief Financial Officer and several executive director roles covering finance, risk and the group executive office.

He also joined UBA's board as a Non-Executive Director in 2024.

According to the bank, his deep knowledge of UBA's operations makes him the right person to lead the next phase of growth.

"With his wealth of experience and understanding of UBA's journey, Mr. Nnorom takes the helm at an important moment in the Group's continued growth across Africa and beyond."

Nnorom's banking career stretches across several major financial institutions, including Standard Trust Bank, which later became part of UBA, Diamond Bank, NUB International Bank and Liberty Merchant Bank.

Outside banking, he also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp) between 2014 and 2017 before becoming the Group Chief Executive Officer of Heirs Holdings, the investment company founded by Tony Elumelu.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), and also completed executive leadership and management programmes at Templeton College, Oxford.

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Elumelu's exit wasn't unexpected.

His retirement followed the Central Bank of Nigeria's corporate governance rules, which place limits on how long non-executive directors can remain on the board of commercial banks.

During his time as chairman, UBA expanded its footprint across Africa and strengthened its presence in international markets, growing into one of the continent's biggest financial institutions with operations in over 20 African countries, as well as the UK, France, the UAE and the United States.

With Emmanuel Nnorom now taking over, attention will be on how the bank continues its expansion strategy across Africa and beyond.