Dubbed the Doyen of Banking, Jim Ovia Champions Stronger Shareholder Value, Investor Growth
Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, has reaffirmed the bank’s unwavering commitment to enhancing shareholder value and investor confidence, underscoring Zenith’s role as a catalyst for transparency, trust, and economic growth in Nigeria’s capital market.
Dr. Ovia, accompanied by the bank’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, performed the prestigious Closing Gong Ceremony at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
The event symbolised Zenith Bank’s enduring partnership with the Exchange and its strong culture of accountability and corporate excellence.
An icon of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), Alhaji Rasheed Yusuf, commended Jim Ovia for his visionary leadership and immense contributions to Nigeria’s financial sector, describing him as “the Doyen of the Commercial Banking Sector.”
He praised Ovia’s pioneering role in building a globally competitive institution that has set the standard for professionalism and innovation in banking.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Umeoji expressed appreciation to the NGX for its forward-thinking leadership and innovative systems. She highlighted the pivotal role of the Exchange’s X-Stream electronic trading platform in Zenith Bank’s recently concluded recapitalization exercise, which achieved an impressive 160 percent subscription rate.
“We are delighted to be here today to perform the closing gong ceremony — a symbol of shared progress and enduring partnership,” she said. “The NGX’s innovation was instrumental to the success of our recapitalization, which exceeded expectations and doubled our stock price from ₦36.50 to ₦68 per share.”
She added that Zenith Bank, now the most profitable bank in Nigeria, remains committed to rewarding its shareholders generously. “We are focused on sustaining value creation and ensuring our shareholders continue to receive enhanced dividends by year-end. We will not disappoint the market,” she assured.
Dr. Umeoji further reiterated the bank’s strategic expansion plans, explaining that Zenith will continue to follow its customers into new markets where it can scale effectively and deliver superior returns.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama, commended the NGX and market participants for driving remarkable growth in the Nigerian capital market. “Without your collective efforts, the market wouldn’t have achieved this leap. Market capitalization has grown from ₦55 trillion to between ₦89 and ₦93 trillion in just one and a half years. Our vision is to reach ₦200 trillion by next year,” he said.
Under Ovia’s leadership, Zenith Bank has solidified its position as Nigeria’s leading financial powerhouse, earning global recognition for performance, innovation, and sustainability. The bank has been named Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for sixteen consecutive years
