He is the founder and Zenith Bank and also the largest individual shareholder of the bank. Jim James Ovia CFR CON (born 4 November 1951) is a Nigerian businessman, he is the founder of Zenith Bank which he founded in 1990. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (OPM), University of Louisiana (MBA) and Southern University, Louisiana (B.Sc). What weve learnt so far from Jim Ovias Africa Rise And Shine, CBN debits banks another N459.7 billion for failure to meet CRR target, Tether: King of digital dollar-denominated asset, Digitization of the U.S Dollar faces U.S Senate hearing. He attended Ika Grammar School, Bojiboji-Owa for his secondary education, before going to Lagos to join his elder brother. Jim Ovia Cars Jim Ovia exercises restraint in making public his personal possessions, especially cars. He is currently the Chairman and majority shareholder of Zenith General Insurance Limited; Nigerias most profitable general insurance company. According to Forbes, Jim Ovia is projected to have a net worth of $550 million at the present time. His father was widely regarded as one of the most powerful chiefs in the Agbor Kingdom of Delta State. Ruth, thanks for putting this piece of concise information relating to the Genesis of Zenith Bank and partly early life of Ovia together. It later became his motivation to establish the James Hope College, a co-educational boarding school where 50% of the students are on scholarship. He is the Chairman of Cyberspace Network Limited. But I insisted because red signified power, he later explained. He was succeeded by Godwin Emefiele, one of his pioneer staff who had grown through the ranks to become Deputy Managing Director. Jim Ovias impact on the Nigerian economy has been acknowledged by multiple governments, and in recognition of this, he was made a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR, 2000) and a Commander of the Order of Niger (CON, 2011). Jim Ovia is the second son in the family of Obi Olihe of Agbor-Obi. firstweekly. He is an enthusiastic fan of iconic architecture, and in order to capitalize on Nigerias expanding hospitality sector, he designed and built the Aquamarine Boat Club and the Civic Centre. Do well to Leave a Comment in the Section Below. But Jim Ovia had a life (outside) his banking career, and has built businesses and mentored people. Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, "Jim Ovia: From a clerk to founder of Nigeria's most profitable bank", "Founder Of Zenith Bank Publishes Inspirational Business Guide", "Celebrating Banking Wizard, Jim Ovia, at 69", "Jim Ovia is one of Nigeria's most successful businessmen - here's how he makes and spends his money", "Adversity Teaches Us to Innovate - Jim Ovia", "Nigerian Multi-Millionaire Banker Jim Ovia Becomes Chairman Of Zenith Bank", "Jim Ovia Is A Zenith Man - Konnect Africa", "ZENITHBANK.NG Company Profile & Executives - Zenith Bank PLC - Wall Street Journal", "Nigerian Banking Tycoon Jim Ovia To Sell Stake In Telecoms Firm To MTN", "Jim Ovia Releases "Africa, Rise and Shine" with ForbesBooks", "FULL LIST: 2022 National Honours Award Recipients The Nation Newspaper", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Ovia&oldid=1142557753, Short description is different from Wikidata, BLP articles lacking sources from October 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 02:47. In 2017, the Bank issued a $500m Eurobond that was four times oversubscribed and priced better than the equivalent home country sovereign bond. Jim was the Brain behind Visafone Communications Limited in 2007 and by 2015, it got acquired by MTN. Over 1,500 students have been provided with university scholarships. Factcheck please. Adjacent to this, he built the Civic Towers, a 15 story office block that colloquially is referred to as Nigerias Empire State Building. Eden Palmer Cause Of Death: what happened to the actress? November 21, 2014. She is a Graduate with a Degree in Management from Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT). A pet desire of Mr. Jim Ovia and his wife, Mrs. Kay Ovia, the dream JHC came to the fore six Septembers ago when the first set of students showed up on the expansive college grounds in Agbor, Delta State that had been prepared for that purpose. Jim Ovias contribution to the Nigerian economy has been recognized by successive governments; he was conferred with the national awards of Member Federal Republic (MFR, 2000) and Commander of the Order of Niger (CON, 2011). Emefiele would later advance in his banking career, to head the Central Bank of Nigeria. You can purchase his book, Africa Rise and Shine here. Jim James Ovia(born November 4, 1951) is a Nigerian businessman, a native of Agbor in Delta State. He is the founder and Chairman of Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE), a philanthropic organization focused on providing scholarships for the less privileged. An outstanding philanthropist, Jim Ovia is also the Founder and Chairman, Board of Trustees of James Hope College, a co-educational boarding school in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. Ovia's first move, therefore, was to bring ATMs to Nigeria, effectively bypassing the human traffic that clogged so many banking halls and doing away with the over-the-counter culture that reigned. Ambode's comment on Tinubu causes stir at Jim Ovia's book launch About Jim Ovia | Entrepreneur | Founder of Zenith Bank The 69 years Old Magnate hails from the Eastern part of Nigeria precisely in Agbor which is located at the heart of Delta State. September 18, 2018. Your email address will not be published. Jim Ovia is the founder of Zenith Bank, one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria. [13], In September 2018, Ovia announced the publication of his book Africa, Rise and Shine published with ForbesBooks.[14]. RHOM's Julia Lemigova on Being the First Cast Lesbian Housewife - E! Online Jim Ovia Net worth. Delta Governor, Senator Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa (middle), his wife, Dame Edith Okowa (left), and the Chairman, zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia ,(right) ,during his condolence visit to the Governor over the . When duty called recently, Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, OMSL, saved Nigeria from what would have been a monumental international embarrassment. Mrs. Kay Ovia is an alumni of Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) where she holds an MBA degree in Management. He one of the Richest Businessman who was born in Nigerian. He is married to Kay Ovia who is Also a Successful Business Entrepreneur like himself. Now, this is the sort of cool life we should all aspire to have! Jim Ovia - Wikipedia What Happened to Carolyn Bryant? The two men are among a number of personalities around the world believed to have used artificial leasing schemes to avoid VAT on jets imported into the EU, PREMIUM TIMEShadreported. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. Talking about early life challenges that could have truncated his future, Ovia wrote in his memoir: When I was just four years old, my fatherwho was in his mid-fiftiessuffered a massive heart attack and died several weeks later due to inadequate medical facilities. Banker, Jim Ovia's daughter marries TV personality, Illrymz - YNaija Kay Ovia (Jim Ovias Wife) Biography, Age, Husband, Children, Net Worth, Who is Sheikh Abdullah Kamal? This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Peter Obi says he did not visit president-elect, Bola Tinubu. He had always instilled a high level of corporate governance across the Bank; enabling it to achieve a $850m GDR listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2013. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0b62fabc0c1fda More so, technology was still considered with some skepticism at the time, and not many thought it would amount to much, but Jim held on to it. His father was one of the most revered chiefs in Agbor Kingdom, Delta State.. Jim James Ovia(born November 4, 1951) is a Nigerian businessman, a native of Agbor in Delta State. Jim Ovia is a Serial Entrepreneur and Billionaire. Stepping down from Zenith bank was a very big blessing for me, because it afforded me the time to pursue other things which I would never have been able to do as CEO of Zenith bank, he later remarked in an interview. And the amazing wife of the Zenith Bank supremo wouldn't have it any other way. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in the 50th convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos. Jim Ovia's wife initiates talent-hunt show - Vanguard News xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function(){if(xmlhttp.readyState==4 && xmlhttp.status==200){var es = document.querySelectorAll("[data-id='"+adunit+"']");var e = Array.from(es).filter(function(e) {return !e.hasAttribute("data-rendered")});if(e.length > 0){e.forEach(function(el){var iframe = el.contentWindow.document;iframe.open();iframe.write(xmlhttp.responseText);iframe.close();el.setAttribute('data-rendered', true)})}}};var child=childNetworkId.trim()? Your email address will not be published. He is also an Alumnus of Harvard Business School. childNetworkId = '21634543682', Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode's comment on his predecessor and political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu got guests cracking at the launch of the book "Africa Rise and Shine" written by the former Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, in Lagos. All details cannot be independently verified by NewsWireNGR or its editorial team. More than 3500 youths have been empowered since 2002, with over 500 entrepreneurs empowered with ICT skills. Ovia picked interest in a property along Ozumba Mbadiwe, a waterfront which used to be a refuse dump, and this became the starting point of his real estate venture. This has now been corrected. Femi Fani-Kayode expends fortune on mother-in-laws cancer treatment, CBN Speaks On Viral Report Of Planning To Stop New N1000, N500, N200 Notes, Tinubu Battles Intrigue As Masari, El-Rufai, Bagudu Jostle for SGF Slot, Kano Gov-Elect Will Review Sanusis Dethronement Kwankwaso, And the Matharoos meet their waterloo! Learn how your comment data is processed. From a tender Age, Jim expressed high prowess in Entrepreneurial Activities which picked an interest in people around him. [9][10], During two decades of leadership, he helped position the bank as one of the largest and most profitable in Africa. Zakhele Madida (born May 26, 1980) stage name as Zakes Bantwini, is a South African singer, record producer and businessman. In 1980, Jim Ovia founded Zenith Bank, one of the most influential banking institutions in the West African nation. Before we See Photos of his Wonderful family, Let's take a brief look at the history of the Billionaire CEO. From a single branch in a residential building, Zenith bank now has hundreds of branches all over Nigeria, and several subsidiaries in other countries. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She also sits on the Board of several organisations. An inspiring profile it is. Jim Ovia and his beautiful wife, Kay Ovia at the launch of his book, "Africa: Rise and Shine" Retiring at 53 Zenith Bank started off with N20 million (then equivalent of $4 million) in shareholders' funds. An interesting and motivating piece of an upwardly mobile man. On this piece of property would later stand the Lagos Civic Centrea masterpiece event venue on the waterfront. Visionary businessman that he is, Ovia hardly sees things as they are. His exceptional skills and achievements have been severally recognized, and he has received awards such as the Professional Leadership Award at Zik Awards, 1999; Vanguards 20 Most Outstanding CEOs in Corporate Nigeria in 2002; Lifetime Achievement Award at Africans Bankers Award 2015; as well as the prestigious Commander of Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he received in 2011. He is the founder and Zenith Bank and also the largest individual shareholder of the bank. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The delectable wife of Zenith Bank chief, Jim Ovia, effortlessly combines motherhood and wifehood in the same girth. Jim Ovia (CEO Of Zenith Bank) Biography, Wikipedia, Age, Date Of Birth Jim Ovia is married to Kay Ovia, she is the MD/CEO at Quantum Markets Ltd. and their union is blessed with five children Isioma, Zephia, Tito, Tomi and Jesse. This is 2021 and the naira has dropped to about NGN410 to a dollar. Jim Ovias contribution to the Nigerian economy has been recognized by successive governments; he was conferred with the national awards of Member Federal Republic (MFR, 2000) and Commander of the Order of Niger (CON, 2011). Jim Ovia was born on 4 November, 1951 in Agbor, Delta State, is a Businessman. The Nation August 22, 2020 OLUSHOLA VICTOR LITTLE is known about the children of Zenith Bank chairman, Jim Ovia, who has broken boundaries in the banking sector. Driven by the role that technology could play in Nigeria; he established Cyberspace Limited to provide internet services and Visafone Communications Limited to provide telecom services. [citation needed], In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.[15]. READ MORE:What weve learnt so far from Jim Ovias Africa Rise And Shine. Full names: Jim Ovia Date of birth: 4th November 1951 Age: 69 years (2020) Place of birth: Delta State, Nigeria Nationality: Nigerian Education: Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.A Spouse : Kay Ovia Children : Isioma Ovia, Jesse Ovia Occupation: Businessman, writer Net worth: $550 million They are Isioma, Zephia, Tito, Tomi and Jesse. But, having arrived garbled in all the accouterments as befits someone of her status, she is never going to try to be the centre of attention or belle of the ball. While in Lagos, he started his banking career in 1973 as a clerk at Union Bank, (formerly Barclays Bank) working at the branch at Oba Akran way, Ikeja. The bond between Jim Ovia, wife - Punch Newspapers [1][2], Jim Ovia holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, Louisiana, USA in 1979 and a B.Sc. Before his life as the CEO of Zenith Bank, Jim Worked at various places in the Financial Sector which helped build his passion in Starting his own company. Ovia headed numerous NGO's at various times including serving as the first President of the Nigeria Internet Group (20012003). According to reports from PREMIUM TIMES, the two individuals are among a number of prominent people throughout the world who are suspected of using phony leasing schemes to avoid paying VAT on jets that were brought into the EU. Ovia headed numerous NGO's at various times including serving as the first President of the Nigeria Internet Group (20012003). Okowa commends Jim Ovia's contribution to humanity Meet the co-founders and their net worths, Meet Ons Jabeur, Africa's best tennis player, Meet Robert Ross the young man dating Phoebe, Bill Gates's daughter, Meet Ishaya Tanko, the non-Plateau indigene appointed 10th Unijos VC, Umar Namadi Dammodi: Biography, Age, Wife, Career, Controversy, and More, Things you may not know about Simon Ekpa, IPOB's Nnamdi Kanu, Finland-based disciple, Francis Nwifuru: Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Career, Controversy and More, Umo Eno: Biography, Age, Wife, Career, Source of Wealth, Controversy, and More. We have estimated He is also an Alumnus of Harvard Business School. Jim also worked with Merchant Bank of Africa setting up the corporate division, and Lion Bank, where he rose to the post of branch manager in Lagos. He is the Chairman of Cyberspace Network Limited. This prompted him to Study Business Administration in the Higher Institution. Few women possess that rare attribute that makes them worthy of being called woman and mother in the same breadth but Kay Ovia is remarkably different. (function () { 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. However, Jim is not the founder of Zenith bank. Jim Ovia's legacy in Nigeria is remarkable, and his achievements extend above and beyond his successful tenure as CEO of Zenith Bank. Kay Ovia (Jim Ovia's Wife) Biography, Age, Husband, Children, Net Worth Alamu Tosin February 8, 2023 Mrs. Kay Ovia is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cyberspace Limited, a leading software engineering company in Lagos. Motherhood According To Kay Ovia, Her Unusual Love for Children Her love for humanity knows no bounds and she spares no expense to translate this into impactful action. 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. //]]> She is hardly likely to shun a well-meaning invitation. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 4 November. Isioma Ovia, daughter of internationally acclaimed Nigerian banker, Jim Ovia, will walk down the aisle today, August 24, with her longtime partner, Ola Olowu, an advertising executive who. Opera News does not consent to nor does it condone the posting of any content that violates the rights (including the copyrights) of any third party, nor content that may malign, inter alia, any religion, ethnic group, organization, gender, company, or individual. His early interest in technology was the reason Zenith bank became the first Nigerian company to have a functional website in 1995, and was able to smoothly migrate its operations from the analogue times to a technological era. Ovias peculiar interest in technology was a strong factor in favour of the bank, as he was way ahead of the others in that regard. Jim Ovia's first wife is Kay Ovia who is the Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Markets Ltd. Jim Ovia Foundation Jim Ovia has a foundation called The Jim Ovia Foundation which seeks to invest in the Nigerian youths' unlimited and untapped potential, The foundation has awarded many scholarships to many brilliant but needy students. Thanks. In time, the couple could no longer cope with the nuisance that came with being neighbours to a bank, and they moved out, giving the bank more space to operate. She is also a Philanthropist Who have an Inner desire to cater for those who are not opportune to have a Good Life. Jim James Ovia CFR CON (born 4 November 1951) is a Nigerian businessman, he is the founder of Zenith Bank which he founded in 1990. . Business lessons from Jim Ovia - The founder of Zenith Bank 1. In 2017, the Bank issued a 500 million dollar Eurobond, which was oversubscribed by a factor of four and priced at a level that was superior to the comparable home country sovereign bond. Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu, Ambode, others honour Jim Ovia ex- Delta governor, James Iboris CSOs wife, Nelly Udele pays N7.5m for N500m NITEL property, One Lagos! Zenith bank has a market capitalization in excess of N600bn. The bank was founded by the late Baba Aladura, his eminence, Otubu. Content created and supplied by: Pepsy48 (via Opera Kay Ovia (Jim Ovia's Wife) Biography, Age, Husband, Children, Net Worth On 27th of April 2007, Zenith Bank Plc became the first Nigerian bank in 25 years to be licensed by the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA), giving rise to Zenith Bank UK Limited. Jim Ovia has an estimated net worth of $550 million, according to Forbes. Jim Ovia, dubbed the Godfather of Banking by Forbes Africa, earned this title by building Nigerias largest bank. Very few women indeed, could navigate the terrain of stepmotherhood without resorting to violence, deviousness, duplicity and other extreme measures but Kay Ovia, unlike most women, has learnt to treat her stepchildren as her own. Download Opera News APP, By Pepsy48 (self media writer) | 2 years ago. 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After the deregulation of the banking sector during the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida in the late 1980s, Jim Ovia, alongside some investors, applied for a banking license. Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the United States of America (1977). Currently, Jim Ovia is worth $900 million, making him one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in Nigeria. He had a lot of interests, some of which he had started paying attention to, but he realized that if he fully wanted to actualize them, he would have to leave the bank on his own terms and give an opportunity to the younger generation. Jim Ovia is married to Kay Ovia, she is the MD/CEO at Quantum Markets Ltd. and their union is blessed with five children - Isioma, Zephia, Tito, Tomi and Jesse. This was lucrative for him as a lot of people want to be taught from his well of wisdom. As the years went by, some banks which started off at the same time were forced to merge or sell out, but Zenith stayed strong. Jim Ovia (Zenith Bank CEO) Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Parents, Net worth, Tarek Fatah Cause of Death, Bio, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Net Worth. Moreover, his net worth is expected to grow, considering his massive business success. Why Nigeria should align with African Unions Health Information Exchange (HIE) Standards and Guidelines, Farooq A. Kperogi: Partisan Comparisons of Channel TVs Seun and Arise TVs Rufai. Required fields are marked *. He founded Zenith Bank in June 1990 and was its pioneer Managing Director/Chief Executive for 20 years, until he retired in July 2010. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Also Check: Cindy Williams Biography, Cause Of Death, Wikipedia, Age, Net worth, Career, Family, Jim Ovia Source of Wealth Zenith Bank PLC, Jim Ovia Scandal with Godwin Emefiele, Governor of CBN, Cindy Williams Biography, Cause Of Death, Wikipedia, Age, Net worth, Career, Family, Musa Keys Biography , Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto Biography, Age, Education, Family, Net Worth, Career, Pastor Paul Mackenzie Biography, Age, Education, Place of Birth, Family, Career, Net Worth, Tony Elumelu Biography, Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth, Dauda Lawal Dare Biography, Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth, William Shakespeare Biography, Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth, Joe Ajaero Biography, Wikipedia, Age, State of Origin, Date of Birth, Sky Bri Biography, Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth, Mr Beast Biography, Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth, Lazarus Biography, Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth, Simon Ateba Biography, Age, Education, Family, Net Worth, Mary Lazarus Biography, Age, Education, Family, Career, Net Worth. All that was mandated was having a Chief Executive with at least 10 years banking experience, raising the required capital, and setting up the required physical and governance structure. He foundedZenith Bankin 1990. [6][7][8] He was the recipient of a Nigerian national honor. If the content contained herein violates any of your rights, including those of copyright, and/or violates any the above mentioned factors, you are requested to immediately notify us using via the following email address operanews-external(at)opera.com and/or report the article using the available reporting functionality built into our Platform Jim James Ovia (born November 4, 1951) is a Nigerian businessman, a native of Agbor in Delta State. Kay is the Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Markets and initiator of the Star Rising Talent Hunt for children and young people. 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. The Banking Industry Cannot be talked about without themention of the likes of Jim Ovia who is the CEO of Zenith Bank PLC. Aren't The Ovia's Lovely? The delectable wife of Zenith Bank chief, Jim Ovia, effortlessly combines motherhood and wifehood in the same girth. Breaking: Nigerians Condemn Shells Plot to Smear Aiteo, Emir of Kanos Deposition: Why Former Access Bank MD, Aig-Imoukhuede, is the Worst Hit, OMSL to the RescueHow the Nigerian Company Rescued Chinese Vessel from Pirate Attack, So Sad How Coronavirus has Hampered the Nigerian, London and Dubai Socio-Economic Milieu, Femi Otedola Wins African Person of the Year, Grand travesty! [CDATA[ After his service year, Ovia joined International Merchant Bank (IMB) in 1980, working his way up from the position of financial analyst to bank manager.