Zenith Bank Plc celebrated its 35th anniversary on Friday, August 15, 2025, with a glittering Chairman’s Dinner held at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The occasion, marked by a blend of pomp, glamour, and pageantry, reflected the bank’s evolution into a financial powerhouse.
As part of the commemoration, the bank honoured pioneer customers and long-serving staff with awards and commemorative plaques. Those recognised included employees who have dedicated over 25 years of service, a gesture that underlined the institution’s appreciation for loyalty and enduring commitment.
The gathering attracted an array of high-profile guests, including customers, present and former staff, regulators, partners, and friends of the bank. Together, they celebrated 35 years of innovative banking services that have established Zenith Bank as a dominant force in Nigeria’s financial sector.
Notable dignitaries at the event included the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON; Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas; Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum; and the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, who was represented by Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme. Also present were Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON, and former governors Peter Obi and Udom Emmanuel, himself an alumnus of Zenith Bank.
In her welcome address, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, OON, paid tribute to the bank’s Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR. She credited him with laying the foundation for a financial institution that has become a model of excellence in Nigeria and beyond. Describing him as “the Godfather of modern banking and the Nostradamus of our time,” she praised his vision, integrity, and resilience in transforming a modest idea into a globally recognised institution.
Vice President Shettima, delivering a goodwill message, echoed that sentiment. An alumnus of the bank himself, he hailed Mr Ovia’s pioneering role in shaping Nigeria’s financial landscape. “Long before technology became the bloodstream of global finance, Jim Ovia had already woven it into the DNA of Nigerian banking,” he said. According to him, Ovia’s greatest achievement lies not only in financial innovation but in his investment in people, passing on his experience and adventurous spirit to successive generations of bankers and investors nurtured at Zenith Bank.
The Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR, also addressed the gathering, expressing deep gratitude to all who have supported the bank’s journey. He extended appreciation to customers and shareholders for their trust, regulators for their oversight, friends and partners for their unwavering backing, the Zenith Bank team led by Dame Dr Umeoji for their dedication, and his family for their steadfast encouragement.
Since its establishment in May 1990, Zenith Bank has grown from modest beginnings into one of Africa’s foremost financial institutions. With a presence across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the bank has expanded globally with subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, France, and the UAE, as well as a representative office in China.
