Some argue that he is one of the wealthiest bankers in Nigeria. He has also been described as the godfather of modern banking in Nigeria by Forbes because of his business dexterity and leadership skills. Whatever the fancy appellation attached to him may be, one thing for sure is that Jim Ovia, the chairman of Zenith Bank Plc detests publicity like a plague and prefers his works in the business community speak for him rather than make a showmanship of it.
In addition, he has a penchant for making behind the scenes moves along the corridors of power and keeping such moves to himself without the need to announce it or subtly show off. A case in point is his close relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which he has never flaunted and how he has always made silent deft moves in support of him all through the years. Besides paying a personal visit to Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of United Bank for Africa, shortly after he was pronounced president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, supposedly to thank him for standing by him in the pursuit of his presidential ambition, Tinubu also paid a personal visit to Jim which was not documented for public consumption.
Infact, Jim was the first person he met with after his declaration as president-elect. Jim’s relationship with Tinubu began pre-1999 and peaked at the return of democracy when he heavily funded Tinubu’s gubernatorial campaign as governor of Lagos State. Since then, their relationship which has never been public knowledge has blossomed with Jim silently supporting Tinubu in his quest to realise his ultimate political ambition. So powerful and highly connected is Jim that he influenced the appointment of two of his banking proteges in the corridors of power.
He influenced Godwin Emefiele’s appointment as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and influenced the choice of Kashim Shettima as the Vice-Presidential candidate. Although many opposed Shettima’s nomination because he was not a popular and favourable choice, however, Jim’s relationship and his long-standing support to Tinubu over the years was too important to be shoved aside.
These and many more he has been doing without making noise. So for a man who has remained influential all through the administrations of all of Nigeria’s democratically elected presidents beginning from Olusegun Obasanjo up until now with Tinubu at the helms of affairs, one may have to think twice before underrating or underestimating the unassuming Jim Ovia.
