Politics

Jim Ovia retires as Zenith Bank chairman

The bank showed Ovia stepped down after completing the mandatory 12 years as a non-executive director and chairman, in compliance with the corporate governance guidelines issued by

By Oyebade Oluwatobiloba

2 min read 6 views Updated Aug 28, 2026
Zenith Bank has announced the retirement of its founder and group chairman, Jim Ovia, following the expiration of his tenure.

The announcement was made on Tuesday during the bank’s ongoing 35th Annual General Meeting and further communicated in a statemen

The bank showed Ovia stepped down after completing the mandatory 12 years as a non-executive director and chairman, in compliance with the corporate governance guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Ovia became the bank’s chairman on July 16, 2014. He returned to the position after previously serving as the bank’s founder and Group Managing Director/CEO from 1990 to 2010.

The bank described Ovia’s tenure as marked by strong leadership, strategic direction, and effective board oversight. “The board expresses its deep appreciation to Mr. Jim Ovia for his outstanding service and invaluable contributions.

“His visionary leadership, unwavering commitment to good governance, and dedication to stakeholder value creation significantly strengthened the group’s strategic positioning and reputation during his tenure.

“He has extensive leadership experience at Board and executive levels, a strong understanding of corporate governance principles and regulatory expectations and a proven track record in strategic oversight and organisational growth. He has also demonstrated integrity, independence, and sound judgment,” the statement read.

The financial institution further showed that the board has approved the appointment of Mustafa Bello as the new chairman at a meeting on April 27 to ensure continuity. based on the statement, Bello, an engineer who joined the board on December 29, 2017, is currently the bank’s longest-serving director.

Zenith Bank showed Bello’s appointment is expected to ensure continuity, stability, and sustained high standards of governance, while facilitating a seamless leadership transition. Adekunle, a fellow of Data and Solutions Journalism, has over four years experience with competences in data journalism and investigations.

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Summary

The bank showed Ovia stepped down after completing the mandatory 12 years as a non-executive director and chairman, in compliance with the corporate governance guidelines issued by Zenith Bank has announced the retirement of its founder and group chairman, Jim Ovia, following the expiration of his tenure.The announcement was made on Tuesday during the bank’s ongoing 35th Annual...

Key takeaways
  • The bank showed Ovia stepped down after completing the mandatory 12 years as a non-executive director and chairman, in compliance with the corporate governance guidelines issued by Zenith Bank has announced the retirement of its founder and group chairman, Jim Ovia, following the expiration of his tenure.The announcement was made on Tuesday during the bank’s ongoing 35th Annual General Meeting and further communicated in a statemenThe bank showed Ovia stepped down after completing the mandatory 12 years as a non-executive director and chairman, in compliance with the corporate governance guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
  • Ovia became the bank’s chairman on July 16, 2014.
  • He returned to the position after previously serving as the bank’s founder and Group Managing Director/CEO from 1990 to 2010.The bank described Ovia’s tenure as marked by strong leadership, strategic direction, and effective board oversight.
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The bank showed Ovia stepped down after completing the mandatory 12 years as a non-executive director and chairman, in compliance with the corporate governance guidelines issued by Zenith Bank has announced the retirement of its founder and group chairman, Jim Ovia, following the expiration of his tenure.The announcement was made on Tuesday during the bank’s ongoing 35th Annual...

Who published this story?

Glow 99.1 FM published this story with Oyebade Oluwatobiloba listed as author.

When was it published?

May 5, 2026

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