Tinubu Meets Zenith Bank Founder and NELFUND CEO

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu met with Jim Ovia, the founder of Zenith Bank, and Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), at the State House in Abuja around 5:15 PM. The nature of their meeting was not disclosed at the time of reporting.

Jim Ovia has been the chairman of the NELFUND Board since his appointment by Tinubu on April 26, 2024, shortly after the President signed the Access to Higher Education Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Act into law, which established an interest-free student loan scheme. Dr. Sawyerr was appointed as the pioneer MD and CEO of NELFUND on April 5, 2024, and has overseen the disbursement of over N303 billion to more than 1.64 million students across over 300 higher institutions nationwide.

Ovia, who retired as Founder and Group Chairman of Zenith Bank in May, remains active in education philanthropy through the Jim Ovia Foundation and as the founder and chancellor of James Hope University in Lekki, Lagos.