Jim James Ovia is a Nigerian billionaire business expert and entrepreneur who currently sits as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu on 26th April, 2024.
He is the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s top financial institutions and the founder of James Hope College.
Profile details
Name: Jim James Ovia
Date of birth: 4th November, 1951
State of Origin: Delta State, Nigeria
Education: Southern University, Baton Rouge
Religion: Christianity
Career: Businessman
Biography
Jim James Ovia is a native of Agbor in Delta State, South-South Nigeria, he was birthed on November 4th, 1951.
He was raised by his mother and eldest siblings owing to the early demise of his father.
After successful completion of his basic and secondary education in Nigeria, he moved to the United States where he bagged a Bachelor’s degee in Business Administration from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1977 and an MBA from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, USA in 1979.
He also studied at the Harvard Business School.
Career
On his return to Nigeria, Ovia moved to Lagos and lived with brother and started secured a job in a bank as a clerk.
He later served as a Director at Transcorp Hilton Hotel and was a Member of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
After several successful years in the finance field, Ovia founded Zenith Bank Plc, in 1990, where he currently holds the title of Chairman.
He served as a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission from 1999 to 2007 and on the board of American International School, Lagos from 2001 to 2003.
He later established Visafone Communications Ltd., founded in 2007 and served as the chairman of the Nigerian Software Development Initiative (NSDI) and the National Information Technology Advisory Council (NITAC).
He is a member of the Honorary International Investor Council and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) and Chairman of Cyberspace Network Limited.
He is a member of the Governing Council of Lagos State University, Lagos and a member of the Board of Trustees, Redeemer’s University For Nations, Lagos.
Appointment
Owing to his years of experience in the finance sector, he was named as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) by President Tinubu in April, 2024.
Personal life
Ovia is a philantropist with keen interest to help young aspiring and underprivileged Nigerians.
He founded Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE), an organization focused on awarding scholarships for less privileged children and Youth Empowerment / ICT Foundation, which aims to improve the socioeconomic welfare of Nigerian youths through information and communication technology.
He is married to Mrs Kay Ovia and together they have children.
Net worth
Jim Ovia has a net wealth of over $980 million earned through his diverse businesses and investments.
He is also listed as one of the rich and successful people in the continent.
Awards
He received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Lagos.
In October 2022, he was given a Nigerian national honor as Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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