Tinubu, Shettima hail Jim Ovia’s contributions to banking, national development at 75
President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have congratulated Zenith Bank founder, Jim Ovia, on his 75th birthday, praising his contributions to Nigeria’s banking industry, economic development and human capital growth.
Tinubu described Ovia as a visionary entrepreneur whose dedication and commitment to excellence transformed Zenith Bank into one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions.
In a statement on Wednesday, the President said Ovia’s pioneering role in establishing the bank in the 1990s and expanding its presence across Africa and Europe was remarkable.
“Mr Ovia’s dedication, resilience and commitment to excellence have not only grown Zenith Bank into a banking behemoth but also helped the growth of the Nigerian financial services sector,” Tinubu said.
He also commended Ovia’s contributions to digital infrastructure, education, youth empowerment, financial inclusion and philanthropy.
Similarly, Shettima described Ovia’s greatest achievement as the institutions, opportunities and lives he had built rather than the wealth he accumulated.
In a congratulatory message on Thursday, the Vice President said Ovia belonged to a rare generation of entrepreneurs who had turned private ambition into public value.
“At 75, Jim has reached that enviable season of life where the evidence of success is everywhere, yet its most important dimensions cannot be captured on a balance sheet,” he said.
Shettima noted that Ovia’s establishment of Zenith Bank reflected his confidence in Nigerian talent, technology and economic potential.
He added that the bank had become part of the architecture of Nigeria’s economy, while Ovia had extended his commitment to human development through scholarships, education and philanthropy.
“At 75, Jim Ovia can look around our country and find part of the answer in thousands of lives, careers and institutions that have been enlarged by his vision,” the Vice President said.
