Africa Rise & Shine

The road to success is rarely linear and never easy. But with courage, hard work, perseverance, and dedication to duty, Jim Ovia, founder and chairman of Zenith Bank, proves we can achieve the unthinkable. Jim has been called the Godfather of Banking by Forbes Africa. And this should be no surprise. In a time of tension between military and civilian regimes, periods of incredible economic instability, and a decaying infrastructure, Jim founded Zenith Bank in Nigeria.
Under Jim's leadership, what started with $4 million in shareholders' funds, grew into one of Africa's largest banks, an internationally recognized institution with more than $16 billion in assets. His story is a living testament to his message that success results when we act with courage and dare to try. Africa, Rise and Shine is part-memoir, part-inspirational business guide, reminding entrepreneurs and investors around the world of this valuable lesson: You must never allow the perceptions of others impact your own vision of what is possible for the future.