Jim Ovia is a Nigerian businessman and author who founded Zenith Bank, now one of Africa’s largest financial institutions. Born on 4 November 1951 in Agbor, Delta State, he was raised in humble circumstances after his father died when he was four; an elder brother funded his early education.
He began his career as a clerical officer at Barclays Bank in Lagos before travelling to the United States, where he earned a BSc in Business Administration from Southern University and an MBA from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
He established Zenith Bank in 1990, building it from a single branch into a banking group with operations across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Beyond banking, Ovia founded Visafone Communications in 2007 and has interests in ICT, insurance and real estate.
He is also a philanthropist, founding James Hope College, where half of the students receive scholarships through the Jim Ovia Foundation.
Ovia has been described as the “godfather of Nigerian banking” and was named Banker of the Year in 2007 and Titan of the Year in 2024 by ThisDay Newspaper.
He stepped down as Zenith Bank’s group chairman in May 2026 after completing the 12-year tenure stipulated by Nigeria’s corporate governance regulations. His memoir, Africa Rise and Shine, chronicles his entrepreneurial journey and the growth of Zenith Bank.
