Nigerian bank UBA says 2013 profit up 7.8 pct

Nigeria's United Bank for Africa (UBA) said on Friday its 2013 pretax profit rose to 56.1 billion naira ($340.2 million), up 7.8 percent from 52 billion naira a year earlier.

Gross earnings at UBA grew to 264.7 billion naira for the twelve months to December 2013, as against 220.1 billion naira a year ago, the bank said in a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

UBA declared a dividend of 0.50 naira per share, which it will pay on April 28. ($1 = 164.90 naira)