By Ngozi Ekwueme
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening diaspora engagement and advancing healthcare development in Nigeria, unveiling a new healthcare investment proposition to the Nigerian-American medical community at the 2026 ANPA Carolinas Symposium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The symposium, hosted annually by the South Carolina and North Carolina chapters of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), convened over 170 physicians and healthcare professionals to discuss medical and scientific issues affecting communities across North America, the Caribbean, and Africa, particularly among Nigerians in the diaspora.
Diaspora Capital for Healthcare Transformation
UBA’s Head of Diaspora Banking, Anant Rao, urged Nigerian physicians abroad to expand their contributions beyond remittances and embrace structured investment in healthcare infrastructure back home.
“The financial infrastructure required to connect your success abroad to sustainable institutional impact at home has not been intentionally designed for diaspora healthcare investors until now,” Rao said.
He introduced the ANPA–UBA Diaspora Healthcare Investment Platform, a professionally managed vehicle designed to channel diaspora capital into specialist hospitals, diagnostic centres, telemedicine infrastructure, and medical training institutions across Nigeria.
“Every dollar invested delivers a dual return, creating value for investors while contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s healthcare future,” Rao added.
Strategic Collaboration
Under the proposed structure, UBA will serve as custodian and structuring bank, while United Capital Asset Management, with over N1.2 trillion in assets under management, will act as fund manager.
Rao also proposed a Memorandum of Understanding between UBA and the ANPA Carolinas chapters, anchored on six strategic pillars:
- Preferred banking offerings for ANPA members
- Quarterly financial education sessions
- A joint Healthcare Infrastructure Fund
- A dedicated ANPA Wealth and Legacy Desk
- Group-rate family healthcare plans through Avon HMO
- UBA co-matching contributions to qualifying impact vehicles under the Pearl Endowment Fund
Expanding UBA’s Diaspora Proposition
UBA’s broader diaspora offerings already include Non-Resident Nigerian accounts in multiple currencies, fixed-income and dollar-denominated investment solutions via United Capital, elder-care trust solutions under the Homeland Anchor Care Trust programme in partnership with Avon HMO, and private wealth management tailored to senior diaspora professionals.
A Milestone in Diaspora Engagement
The 2026 ANPA Carolinas Symposium marks another milestone in UBA’s strategic engagement with the diaspora community, reinforcing the bank’s belief that diaspora capital can play a transformative role in accelerating healthcare and infrastructure development across Africa.