President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Jim Ovia, as board chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund).
Spokesman for the president, Mr Ajuri Ngelari, announced this in a statement.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds and of ensuring that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century,” the statement said.
Ovia is the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, founder and chancellor of James Hope University, Lekki, Lagos which was recently approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to offer postgraduate degrees in business courses.
The university commenced academic activities in September 2023.
In support of the Nigerian youth, the Jim Ovia Foundation offers scholarships to indigent students through the Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE) initiative. Most of the beneficiaries of the scholarship are now accountants, business administrators, lawyers, engineers, doctors, among others.
Ovia is the author of “Africa Rise and Shine”, published by ForbesBooks.
The book which encapsulates Zenith Bank’s meteoric rise also details the secrets of success in doing business in Africa.
The NELFund) chairman is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (OPM), University of Louisiana (MBA), and Southern University, Louisiana, (B.Sc. Business Administration).
He is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Community of Chairpersons, and a champion of the Forum’s EDISON Alliance.
In recognition of Ovia’s contributions to the economic development of Nigeria, in 2022, the federal government honoured him with the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Also, in May 2022, the federal government honoured him with the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award.
Earlier in 2000 and 2011, Ovia was conferred with the national awards of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in recognition of his visionary leadership and contributions to Nigeria’s financial services sector.
