L-R: Group Head, Retail and Digital Banking, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Shamsideen Fashola; Team Lead, USSD and SMS Banking, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Eva Iseh-Akhigbe, and Head, Digital Banking, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Olukayode Olubiyi during the official launch of the Advance Top-Up feature on *919# at the bank’s corporate head office, in Marina recently
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank For Africa Plc, has launched a new feature called Advance Top-Up on its USSD banking platform *919#, which is designed to provide instant access to airtime and data for its customers especially when they are out of call credit or disconnected from the internet.
The new feature, which can be accessed through *919*9#, was unveiled at the UBA head office in Marina on Thursday, allowing customers to borrow airtime or data directly from their mobile devices, offering a fast, dependable solution.
UBA’s Group Head, Retail and Digital Banking, Shamsideen Fashola, who spoke during the official launch, described the feature as a timely addition to the bank’s digital offerings and a testament to its customer-first approach.
“At UBA, we are constantly looking for ways to make banking and everyday services more accessible for our customers. With the launch of Advance Top-Up on our USSD platform, *919*9#, we are giving our customers the power to stay connected without interruption, regardless of time, location, or airtime balance,” Shamsideen said.
UBA’s Advance Top-Up which is now live on *919*9#, joins a wide range of services on the platform, which include airtime and data purchases, money transfers to UBA and other banks, account balance checks, card blocking and freezing, online transaction controls, bill payments, and more.
Fashola emphasised the simplicity and convenience of the solution, adding that “You don’t need to download an app or visit a data centre. Just dial *919*9#, follow the prompt, and you’re immediately connected. It’s simple, fast, and reliable.”
The Bank’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Alero Ladipo, added that the feature was developed based on real feedback from customers and their evolving needs.
“Our users asked for a way to stay connected when they have no airtime, and as always, we have come up with a quick solution, right there on their phones, instantly, with no fuss, and no need for internet connectivity. Whether for emergency communications or business continuity, *919*9# puts instant connectivity in every customer’s hands,” she explained.
She explained that only recently, the bank unveiled its newly improved Point of Sale (POS) Terminal as well as the UBA MONI App to redefine the digital payment landscape and empower small and Medium Scale Enterprises across Africa.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.
