Driving UBA’s Marketing

Bola Atta: The Creative Genius Driving UBA’s Marketing

Bola Atta is a woman of many parts. She started her career as a banker and ventured into journalism, and now she is one of Nigeria’s top and widely celebrated marketing executives.

She has left no one in doubt about her vibrant spirit, creativity and leadership capacity everywhere she has worked, including her current position as Group Director, Marketing and Corporate Communications Department, United Bank for Africa and UBA Foundation.

Education and career

Atta graduated from the University of Sussex, where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 1988. In 1991, she secured an MBA, majoring in Marketing, at Duquesne University. Her first job out of school was as a banker. In an earlier interview, she revealed that her career choice was informed by her desire to follow the path of least resistance.

“So when I say that I thought I would work in Finance, this was not necessarily because I particularly had a passion for it, but because I was good in maths and later in economics, and I thought that was the way to go,” she said.

A few years into her banking career, Atta discovered she wanted more out of life. Banking became boring and was not giving her the space to express her creativity to the fullest. She switched to publishing.

As editor-in-chief of True Love West Africa Magazine, Atta began to find peace with her inner self. Journalism offered her the freedom and push to explore deeper into the world. She was able to connect with aspects of human existence that made her find true fulfilment.

She was at True Love between 2010 and 2014. She left to join Flair Productions, West Africa, where she served as CEO for about two years. After that, she became the Executive Producer of Africa’s Next Top Model, a reality television show and spin-off to America’s Next Top Model show which premiered in 2012.

Atta, a multi-talented woman like the golden fish with no hidden place, was later snapped up by media giant, M-NET. As the Programmes Manager at M-NET, she was charged with widening the scope of programming and injecting some creativity and vibrancy into the media platform.

And without a doubt, she delivered to the very last of her mandate. Many analysts have said that it was at M-NET that Atta discovered her rhythm as a media champion and left a mark that will resonate for many years. During her time, she drove for more channels promoting Nigerian and African movies. She worked on the concept, development and programming of this channel – ‘Africa Magic’, which was successfully launched in 2003 and is now one of the most-watched channels across the African continent.

Appointment as Head of Marketing, UBA

It was largely based on her job at M-NET that she secured her present assignment as Group Director and Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications at UBA Plc. She is also now the Executive Producer of REDTV, an online network that UBA supports. Her present role in UBA means she oversees the designing and mapping out of marketing and corporate communication strategies across eighteen countries.

Without a doubt, the banking industry is one of the most intense and physically challenging sectors, but Atta has so far survived with her glamour and glows still intact. She explains that her way of dealing with challenges is to intermittently pause and strategise, especially when at a crossroads. ‘‘No matter what one is confronted with at every point, there is always a way out of every situation.” She said, adding that the diversity and size of UBA has challenged her to grow even more.

Awards and recognitions

As a woman devoted to excellence, Atta has been the recipient of many awards and accolades, which underlines her personality as a goal-getter and innovator.

In 2008, in recognition of her talent and impact, Atta was listed among the 40 top Nigerians under 40. Then in 2015, she was nominated among the 100 most influential women in Nigeria. She was awarded the Best Marketing Professional in West Africa in 2017.

Atta was recently awarded the Outstanding Corporate Communications Personality of the Decade by the Marketing Edge Annual National Marketing Summit of Brands & Advertising Excellence Awards. The award cements her place as one of the top marketers in Nigeria’s highly competitive banking industry.

Upon receiving the Marketing Edge award, she noted that her goal has never been to win a prize, but she has always been challenged to serve and do her best as demanded by her job.

In her words, “I have always loved doing what I do, and my objective has never been for acclaim or recognition. It’s the milestones, the changing lives! Therein lies the fulfilment. However, it is nice sometimes to receive an award, especially from a highly reputable source. I’m grateful for the Outstanding Corporate Communications Personality of the Decade award. Thank you, Marketing Edge!”

She has also been recognised as one of the world’s most influential 100 creatives of African descent for 2021.

Indeed, her current role in UBA may suggest that Atta may have risen to the pinnacle of her career. Yet, her drive and hunger remain unabated as she longs to conquer new territory in her very eventful three-decade-old career.