He needs no introduction as his bank has attained a very prime position in Nigeria and beyond being that, it has won several awards in the past decades till date: one of the most profitable, best run, highest return on investments to shareholders, top industry salaries to staff, etc. Name it, as long as it is a positive achievement, Zenith Bank has continued to clinch the award, both locally and internationally. No doubt it is in your best interest to do business with it. Three words are dear to the bank: people, technology and service. Technology and research are at the heart of its success as well as distinctive service delivery.
In his book, Africa Rise and Shine, the founder reveals how the brand name ZENITH was chosen. He wanted a name with a broad international appeal and at the same time simple to understand and recall. The word Zenith captures all these attributes as it means the same thing in four different international languages: French, Latin, English and Spanish.
It was this same spirit of excellence that Dr. Jim Ovia took to the educational sector of Nigeria when he founded the James Hope College in September 2013, with the intention of making affordable excellence in education possible. Eleven years later, that objective has been achieved with the birthing of a post graduate James Hope University at the Twin Lakes in the Lekki area of Lagos close to the Chevron oil company headquarters. The school simply bought over the former permanent site of the American International School and cited both the college and university there. G. Cappa (a leading construction company and favorite of the founder) built up the site to world class standards and its furnishings, as can be expected, completed the edifice. Essentially a non profit organization, the James Hope staff are very well paid and motivated with foreign courses and trips. Because it has to maintain a certain standard of quality, price was introduced as a benchmark for differentiation and positioning. It should be noted that the Jim Ovia Foundation offers merit and need-based scholarships to deserving students in order to ensure that its excellence in the WASSCE and IGCSE examinations remain one of the best in Nigeria. Its graduates rank among the recipients of undergraduate scholarships in top class schools worldwide. It is on record that the founder gave full scholarships to the entire first set of graduates to any university in Nigeria. And wait for this please: the pioneer Head boy and Head girl got full scholarships to any universities of their choice in the world! Not surprisingly, they both chose schools abroad. Who wouldn’t?
Is it therefore a surprise that Dr. Jim Ovia was deservedly and meritoriously appointed as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund? His passion for education and excellence and IT have been recognized. We wish him success in this new assignment which is expected to guarantee affordable funding for our youths. We have one request, however. The old site of the school in Agbor-Obi could be made the site of the James Hope undergraduate university so as to generate more jobs for our people, as well as permanently put the place on the map of education in Nigeria. Amen!
