Jim Ovia Net Worth 2025, Biography, Businesses, and Latest Investments
As of April 2025, Ovia’s estimated net worth stands at $980 million, primarily anchored in his significant holdings in Zenith Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s most profitable and capitalized banks.
Jim James Ovia was born on November 4, 1951, in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. He attended Ika Grammar School before traveling to the United States for higher education.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southern University, Louisiana, in 1977, and an MBA from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, in 1979. He later completed executive education at the Harvard Business School.
In 1990, Jim Ovia founded Zenith Bank Plc. Built on strong governance and innovation, the bank grew into a major financial institution with subsidiaries in the UK, UAE, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.
He served as Managing Director/CEO for 20 years before becoming Group Chairman in 2010. Under his continued leadership, Zenith Bank reported a profit before tax of N350 billion in FY2024. Ovia received N20.33 billion in dividends from his holdings in March 2025 alone.
Jim Ovia also has interests in:
He is also the author of “Africa Rise and Shine”, a business memoir published in 2018, offering insights on entrepreneurship in Africa.
Ovia played a key role in Nigeria’s technology landscape as Chairman of the National Software Development Initiative (NSDI) and the National Information Technology Advisory Council (NITAC), shaping IT policy and software industry development in Nigeria.
Through the Jim Ovia Foundation, Ovia supports youth empowerment and education. He founded:
Jim Ovia also established:
Ovia has received multiple Nigerian national honors:
He has also received awards from banking, ICT, and philanthropic organizations across Africa.
Estimated Net Worth: $980 million
Key Assets:
Though mostly naira-based, his diversified portfolio and reinvestment strategy have ensured long-term wealth preservation.
Jim Ovia continues to lead Nigeria’s private sector with lasting influence in banking, technology, and education. His long-term strategy, institutional leadership, and impact investments place him among the most respected figures in Africa’s business community.
