Founded in 1997 by a consortium of leading Nigerian banks, Unified Payments has been a trailblazer in e-payment services.

As the only non-bank entity in Nigeria licensed as a Principal Member or licensed Acquirer of all major payment schemes, including American Express, Mastercard, Visa, UnionPay and Payattitude, the company has delivered secure, scalable and innovative payment solutions that empower businesses and individuals following its transformation to a scheme-neutral and option-neutral service provider.

Speaking on the significant milestone, the Managing Director/CEO of UP group of companies, Dr. Agada Apochi expressed profound appreciation to the UP team, Shareholders and customers for their unwavering support and trust enabling the growth of the company over the years.

Apochi reaffirmed the company’s commitment to continually leverage our shared technology infrastructure towards delivering seamless, adaptable, secure and intelligent payment solutions that fuel economic growth and inclusion.

“At Unified Payments, we are immensely proud of the milestones we have achieved over these 28 years. What began as a bold initiative to create innovative financial solutions in Nigeria has evolved into a powerhouse that is unifying businesses, connecting people and driving sustainable progress. Our success is a testament to the dedication of our team, the trust of our shareholders and customers towards our relentless pursuit of excellence. As we look to the future, we remain committed to pushing boundaries, fostering inclusion and delivering solutions that make a real difference in the lives of People and businesses. Here’s to many more years of unifying excellence,” he said.

Over the years, Unified Payments has pioneered numerous industry-first innovations, including but not limited to the issuance and acceptance of EMV Chip+PIN cards in Nigeria, significantly reducing card fraud in the country, its recent partnership with Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS) to facilitate cross-border transactions among others.

The company also enabled Nigerian Naira account holders to use their cards globally for the first time, enabled acceptance of foreign cards for purchase at merchant locations and cash withdrawals; and simplified payments using phone numbers for increased accessibility.

UP also developed robust offerings spanning acquiring, processing, switching, payment terminal services aggregation, interbank transfers, agency banking, online payment gateways, value-added services, thereby empowering banks, businesses and consumers to transact effortlessly.

Through its commitment to cross-enterprise alliances, UP has enabled many other Fintech companies and businesses in Nigeria who leverage the licenses and capabilities of UP.

The renewed vision of UP is – To be the trusted enabler of businesses and lifestyle while the mission is – Building shared technology infrastructure and partnerships.

The four persons promoted into leadership positions are Jumoke Akinyele, Gabriel Olonisakin, Ugochukwu Ukaogu and Judith Ezeali.

While Jumoke Akinyele and Gabriel Olonisakin were elevated to the positions of  Business Director and Creative Director respectively,  Judith Ezeali moved up the ladder to the position of Deputy Business Director and Ugochukwu Ukaogu was promoted to the position of Associate IT Director.

Speaking on the promotion, the Chief Executive Officer of Noah’s Ark Communications Limited, Lanre Adisa, stated that the elevation is in line with the company’s culture of recognizing high-performing team members while creating the enabling environment for them to develop their skills and collaborating to achieve exceptional performance in their new roles.

Adisa expressed optimism that the promoted staff would bring fresh ideas to reinvigorate the leadership team to record tremendous success in the coming years. He noted that all the elevated team members have put in meaningful years of hard work, loyalty and dedication.

Jumoke Akinyele started her career in the agency in 2010 as a temp/intern and rose to her current role. Until recently, she was the Associate Director and was responsible for managing business processes and cross-functionally working with critical stakeholders and agency teams to solve marketing problems while ensuring profitability for the business.

Jumoke holds a B. A. in English Language from Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State and  an MBA from Nexford University, USA.

She is an alumna of the Lagos Business School (Senior Management Programme). An ARCON-certified marketing communications and brand management professional, her industry experience spans several multinational and local brands across various industries and categories, some of which are  Maltina, Airtel, Maggi, Rexona, Minimie, Hacey Initiative, PayAttitude, Fayrouz, Indomie, Paga, SWIFT Networks, Three Crowns Milk, Peak Milk, Travelstart, Hypo, Power Oil, among others.

Similarly, Gabriel Olonisakin joined the company 13 years ago, bringing a unique blend of artistic vision, strategic thinking and leadership prowess into his new role. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in crafting visually stunning and conceptually compelling campaigns that captivate audiences and drive brand success.

A serial award winner, he has won laurels at global and regional advertising festivals, including the Loeries and Epica Awards. He clinched the first-ever creative effectiveness medal at the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival and was recognized for his creativity at the African Cristal Awards.

Judith Ezeali started her career with Brand Communicator magazine in 2008 as an Assistant Editor and Sales Lead before joining 141 worldwide (now Nitro 121).  She left 141 Worldwide as an intern and moved to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited in 2011. In 2014, she joined Noah’s Ark Communications Limited as an Account Executive and rose to become a Deputy Director.

Her work involves business operations, brand management, client servicing and managing the creative processes from start to finish.

Over the years, she has garnered cross-industry experience from working on various brands in diverse categories spanning Telco, FMCG, Insurance, Aviation, Travel, Education, Hospitality and Financial Services.

Ezeali, who holds a B. Sc. in Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University, is also an alumna of the prestigious Lagos Business School, SMP 80 Class. She is an associate member of ARCON (ARPA) and holds a diploma in digital marketing (DDM) from the Digital Marketing Institute, Ireland.

Ugochukwu Ukaogo is a seasoned professional in IT infrastructure management with a robust experience.

He joined Noah’s Ark as an Assistant Manager and rose to Deputy IT Director before his latest promotion to Associate IT Director.

Before joining Noah’s Ark in 2017, he had worked in different multinational companies, ranging from telecommunications to fast-moving consumer goods.