Zenith Bank Founder Jim Ovia Receive AAI Awards

The Africa -America Institute (AAI) has awarded the Co- Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Mr. Jim Ovia with the esteemed 2017 Business Leader Award.

The award was conferred on him on Tuesday September 19, 2017 in New York, USA at the institute’s 33rd Annual Awards Gala.

Receiving the award Mr Ovia said “today I am very honored to be identified as one of the awardees of the AAI. I have always known over the years of mentoring and empowering a large number of people about 20, 000 people today, one thing they appreciate most is not money, but recognition, so when AAI decide to honour people like myself, truly I prefer being honored than being given money,”he said.

Mr. Ovia co- founded Zenith bank, Nigeria’s largest bank in 1990.

He is currently the bank’s Group Chairman having served as MD and CEO of the bank for 20 years.

Jim Ovia is also the chairman of the board of trustees of James Hope College, a co- educational boarding school in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria.

Mr Ovia was awarded alongside the President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Akufo Addo who was honoured with the National Achievement Award.

Two other Ghanaians Bozoma Saint John, the Chief Brand Officer for Uber and Nicole Amaerteifio, Creator, Director, and producer of African City were also presented with the Innovation and Technology and leadership in African Media and Arts Awards respectfully.

Founded in 1953, The Africa-America Institute is a premier U.S.-based international organization dedicated to strengthening human capacity of Africans and promoting the continent's development through higher education and skills training, convening activities, program implementation and management.

AAI raises funds to provide scholarships to smart and under-resourced students to attend top-performing African universities and develops programs that focus on increasing the skills of the next generation of African youth so that they become globally competitive.

AAI alumni are at the forefront of Africa's public, non-profit, and private sectors.

The Gala supports AAI's efforts to strengthen the human capacity of Africans and to promote enlightened engagement between Africa and America through education, skills training, dialogue and special events.

The award ceremony brought together diplomats, international and senior US government officials, business and civil society leaders, educators, philanthropists, journalists and other prominent figures.