Stakeholders laud Ovia, as Zenith Bank names UNILAG alumni building after Ibidapo- Obe

THE memory of Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo- Obe, a former vice chancellor of the University of Lagos ( UNILAG), came alive as Zenith Bank Plc named the iconic building housing its Unilag Branch and the University of Lagos ( UNILAG) Alumni in his honour, on Friday, November 25, 2022.

In his opening remarks at the commissioning ceremony, the Group Managing Director/ CEO of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman of the Body of Banks’ CEOS in Nigeria, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, lauded the Founder and Chairman of the bank, Jim Ovia, CFR, for being physically present at the commissioning of the building to honour the memory of his late friend, Ibidapo- Obe, who served on the board of Zenith Bank as a Non- Executive Director, and for his passion for youth education and digital learning.

He noted the remarkable and continued commitment of Ovia to education and youth development in Nigeria, especially through the setting up of James Hope College, a co- educational institution, which offers a combination of British and Nigerian curricula, and the James Hope University, which is billed to commence academic activities next year. He also extolled his philanthropy through the setting up of the Jim Ovia Foundation and Mankind United in Total Support for Education Initiative, which has awarded scholarships and produced over 1,500 graduates from among indigent people who would not have had the benefit of having a university education.

Onyeagwu also recalled how the bank’s partnership with the University of Lagos began in 2001 with the donation of the first ICT centre, when the Founder and Chairman was the Group Managing Director/ CEO of the bank.

He said: “Today, Zenith Bank has built not less than 15 ICT centres in various tertiary institutions and cities all over the country. And I just want to say that no single institution or individual has been able to accomplish what we have done in that respect. And this is a demonstration of the passion our Founder and Chairman has, not just for education, but also for digital learning and computer literacy. Read the remaining part of this story on www. guardian. ng