The phenomenal growth achieved by Nigerian banks will continue to elicit global commendations for a long time to come. And as has been identified severally, such rare accomplishment from an industry that was under immense distress to one that is setting the pace in the Nigerian economy remains subject of economic study.

Between 2006 when consolidation of the sector was concluded and now, the boom in the financial sector continues to attract commendations and the industry’s key players continue to receive accolades for their ingenuity and dexterity against what appeared an impossible task in 2004 when the policy of recapitalisation was first announced.

In the wake of that bold and courageous move, true giants in the industry have emerged providing the minions in their midst a platform upon which to stand and remain in business. Such giants in the Nigerian banking business is Union Bank Plc; with Dr. Bartholomew Bassey Ebong as the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nigeria’s second largest bank and the 502nd bank in the world, confirming it as a big, strong and reliable bank.

A first generation bank, the symbol of the Union Bank is the stallion and it is that symbol that its chief executive represents among players in the industry. At 62, Barth Ebong(now, that is to those who have known the man way back in time) has carved an identity for himself as a reputable corporate player and leader of men. A hard earned reputation, it began as far back as 1977 when he joined the former Barclays Bank of Nigeria as a management trainee. Barclays Bank of Nigeria has since been renamed Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and is rated as the nation’s second largest bank.

Between the time Bartholomew Ebong was employed by Union Bank and 2006, he went through all the basic trainings that would prepare him for the challenges ahead. He took in everything he could and remained focused for the future that held good promises. That future began to manifest in 1999 when he was appointed as the bank’s Executive Director in charge of corporate and international banking. For four years, he held this position and in 2003 higher responsibility came calling. A typical Barth Ebong style he took up the challenge as Executive Director responsible for Management Services, Finance Services, Treasury, Legal Services and later Registrars and Credit Policy and Control.

This new office and its added responsibilities were at the very eve of the consolidation of the banking sector that was concluded in 2006. The Union Bank was among the few banks who were certain of scaling the hurdles set by the Central Bank of Nigeria for the banks as it already was above the CBN mark as at the time. What was left for it is to wait for banks that would not be able to scale the Apex Bank’s hurdle and give them the much needed fillip to continue in business.

While other banks involved in mergers and acquisitions had a daunting task in integrating their systems, the Union Bank experience was different. Given the bank’s size and massive network, it already had in place a robust network of branches interlinked by ICT models that have remained efficient for as long as the industry can remember.

And just three days to Dr. Ebong’s 60th birthday anniversary on April 1, 2006; the man with a modest background and disposition to life was appointed the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Union Bank Nigeria Plc; making him one of the most powerful chief executives in corporate Nigeria.

Since assuming office, the man whose young and energetic looks belies his actual age has sustained the growth of the bank and setting new heights for himself and the teeming staff of one of the country’s most reliable banks. And in recognition of this deliberate effort at raising banking standard in Nigeria, the Union Bank has continued to receive accolades from both local and international institutions.

Recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria named Union Bank of Nigeria Plc the 2006 Best Support Bank for the development of Agriculture, Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Scheme (SMEEIS). It is an impressive record to note that the Union Bank has consistently won the annual Agriculture awards since it was instituted.

Growing the assets base and investors’ fund of the bank has continued to pre-occupy this exemplary banker as the bank continues to record outstanding recognitions everywhere it goes. In 2007, Union Bank was also listed among the world’s top 1000 global banks by the highly respected The Banker Magazine, a member of the Financial Times Group.

Such a monumental achievement by Dr. Ebong try as much as he could to down play his outstanding contribution to an industry that has become the pacesetter in the Nigerian economy; honours and recognitions continue to trail the banker of a first order.

In 2007 the exemplary leadership qualities of Dr. Ebong were recognised and honoured by the Federal Government of Nigeria as he was named an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON); in the same year, he was honoured with a doctorate degree as Doctor of Management (Honoris Causa) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure and on April 26, 2008; he became the recipient of the Honorary Doctor of Science Degree of the University of Uyo in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom state.

A professional through and through, he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers; Fellow, Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria; and Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration; among numerous others.

Educated in some of the foremost institutions of learning in the world, but the chief executive of Union Bank has a background that is rooted in modesty. Born on April 4, 1946 in Ekit Itam in the Itu Local Government Area into the royal family of late Okuku Ebong Nkanga of Ekit Itam, his mother was late Madam Magdalene Uduse Ebong Nkanga. This community has been made famous by the Scottish Missionary, Mary Slessor who settled in this community for the greater part of her missionary works.

Dr. Ebong qualified as a teacher in Grade II at the Government Teachers’ College, Uyo which gave him secondary education after which he studied and passed his General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level through the correspondence programme of the Rapid Results College, London. With these early successes, he moved on to the United States of America and his first port of call was the University of Wisconsin and in 1975, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Accounting.

From Wisconsin his appetite for academic excellence was transferred to the state of Minnesota where he undertook a Masters degree in Business Administration sustaining the Accounting drive but with a special course in Finance and Management Information Systems.

These special areas will come handy in future as the banker began his climb to the top hierarchy of Union Bank Plc. For instance, between 1989 and 1993 he was Chief Accountant responsible for Treasury Management, Payroll, General Head Office Bookkeeping and Accounts, Taxation, Management Information System and Inter-Branch Accounts Reconciliation. Always discharging his duties diligently, what he receives for discharging his duties is more work. Thus, between 1994 and 1997, he was Assistant General Manager in charge of International Banking; 1997 and 1999, Deputy General Manager, Corporate and International Banking responsible for Foreign Exchange, International Trade, foreign representations and exports; and in all these, he stood out.

Union Bank as a leading financial institution in Nigeria, has grown with numerous subsidiary companies. And to each of these companies, Dr. Ebong serves as chairman of their Boards and he still find time to attend to them making his verse experience available to their management whenever it is needed. These include: Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc; UBN Property Company Limited; Consolidated Discounts Limited; Union Trustee Limited; Unique Venture Capital Management Company Limited, among others.

On the international scene, he serves as director of Union Bank UK Plc; HFC Bank (Ghana) Limited and Banque International Du Benin (BIBE). He has also presented papers on the banking industry that he has mastered so well apart from world class seminars and forums where his invaluable contributions have been acknowledged.

Married to an equally successful career woman, Mrs. Jane Ebong, she is presently an Executive Manager of National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and their union is blessed with children some of who are already professionals in their own rights.

Success to Dr. Ebong also means giving back to the society and that has informed the philanthropic gesture of the man and the bank he heads, both on the local and national levels. To many professional bodies, the Union Bank chief executive is a symbol of steadfastness and commitment to quality service delivery. There is no doubt that with this man the future of banking and related industries in Nigeria is as bright as it could be imagined.