President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, as the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
This was announced in a State House press release by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday.
According to the 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 noted that, “Jim Ovia , is the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, one of Africa’s largest banks with over $21.4 billion in assets and shareholders’ funds of over US$2.4 billion as at December 2023. Zenith Bank is a global brand listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange. In addition to major operations in Nigeria and other West African countries, the Bank has sizable operations in London and Dubai.
“Jim Ovia is the 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. James Hope University commenced activities in September 2023.
“Through his philanthropy, the Jim Ovia Foundation, he has shown the importance he accords to good education. In support of the Nigerian youth, Jim Ovia Foundation offers scholarships to indigent students through the Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE) initiative. Most of the beneficiaries of Jim Ovia Foundation scholarship are now accountants, business administrators, lawyers, engineers, doctors among others.”
