Zenith Bank Plc rolled out the drums at the weekend to celebrate its 35th anniversary with a glamorous Chairman’s Dinner held at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos.
The event, marked by pageantry and glitz, honoured pioneer customers as well as staff who have served the institution for 25 years and above, in recognition of their contributions to the bank’s growth and milestones over the decades.
The celebration attracted a distinguished gathering of stakeholders, including customers, staff (past and present), regulators, partners, and friends of the bank, who came together to mark 35 years of innovation and leadership that has positioned Zenith as a trailblazer in Nigeria’s financial sector.
Notable dignitaries at the ceremony included Vice President Kashim Shettima; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas; Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum; and Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his deputy, Monday Onyeme. Business mogul Aliko Dangote and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, were also in attendance.
In her welcome address, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, paid glowing tribute to the bank’s Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR. She hailed him as “the Godfather of modern banking and the Nostradamus of our time,” whose vision, foresight, and integrity transformed Zenith into a globally recognised financial powerhouse.
Vice President Shettima, an alumnus of the bank, in his goodwill message praised Ovia for embedding innovation into Nigeria’s banking sector long before it became a global trend.
“Jim Ovia introduced innovation not as fashion but as philosophy, placing Zenith Bank on a path where excellence is not an ambition but a standard,” Shettima said. “Yet his true legacy lies in human capital — transferring his experience and sense of adventure to generations of bankers and investors.”
Responding, Ovia expressed deep appreciation to guests for joining in the celebration. He thanked customers and shareholders for their trust, regulators for their guidance, partners for their support, and the Zenith family, led by Umeoji, for their loyalty and commitment. He also paid tribute to his wife and family for their love and encouragement.
Founded in May 1990, Zenith Bank has grown from modest beginnings into one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, with a presence in all 36 states and the FCT, and subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, France, and the UAE, as well as a representative office in China.
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