Here’s a brief profile of the billionaire octogenarian
Jim Ovia, once named by Forbes as one of the 50 richest people in Africa, is a year older today. As expected, accolades have poured in to celebrate him, including one from President Muhammadu Buhari and other notable Nigerians. President Buhari called him a “beloved citizen” and praised him for his immense contributions to the Nigerian economy.
About Jim Ovia
Few men possess the leadership qualities that make them worthy to be called successful businessmen and philanthropists. But Jim Ovia is remarkably different.
Jim James Ovia, CFR CON, was on the 4th of November 1951. He hails from Delta state. He later obtained a B.Sc. in Business Administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, in 1977 and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana in Monroe, Louisiana, USA in 1979. He is also a Harvard Business School alumni.
He assisted in positioning Zenith Bank as one of the biggest and most profitable banks in Africa throughout his two decades of leadership at the institution.
Ovia founded Visafone Communications Limited and served as the head of the National Information Technology Advisory Council and the Nigerian Software Development Initiative (NSDI) (NITAC).
He serves as Chairman of Cyberspace Network Limited and a member of the Honorary International Investor Council and Digital Bridge Institute (DBI).
He received an honorary doctorate at the University of Lagos’ 50th convocation ceremony.
His philanthropy
He joined the Board of several educational institutions and NGOs that support the advancement of humanity, out of his desire to give back to society and the younger generation.
He serves on the boards of trustees and governing councils of numerous schools, notably Redeemer’s University For Nations in Lagos. He has also served on the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission’s Governing Council (1999–2007).
Ovia has served as the inaugural President of the Nigeria Internet Group and has led some non-governmental organisations (2001–2003). He is the founder and Chairman of Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE), a charitable organisation that provides scholarships to the poor and disadvantaged. He founded the Youth Empowerment / ICT Foundation to improve the socioeconomic well-being of Nigerian youngsters by encouraging and motivating them to embrace information and communication technologies.
He was quoted to have said, “I will continue to empower the youths. That is my passion. The youths are the leaders of tomorrow. We must continue to support them”.
In 2018, he published the book Africa Rise and Shine.
