When Jim Ovia published Africa Rise & Shine, he didn’t just release another founder’s memoir.
He documented a philosophy.
That single decision transformed the book into something far more enduring than a personal success story. It became a reference point for African banking. A blueprint for leadership. A manual for how African enterprises can scale, compete globally, and still retain their identity.
Today, it is impossible to have a serious conversation about modern Nigerian banking without touching ideas that Ovia articulated – either directly or indirectly – in that book.
More Than a Founder’s Story
Africa Rise & Shine did three critical things.
First, it reframed Nigeria’s banking evolution. Rather than portraying growth as accidental or luck-driven, Ovia showed the deliberate thinking, discipline, and long-term vision behind Zenith Bank’s rise.
Second, it captured the birth of a global African brand. The book documented how local relevance and global standards can coexist – an idea many African businesses still struggle to reconcile.
Third, it became a leadership manual. Thousands of professionals, founders, and executives didn’t read it for entertainment. They studied it to understand decision-making, risk, governance, and institutional culture.
Why the Book Was So Powerful
The strength of the book lies in what Ovia chose to document.
He didn’t merely list milestones or achievements.
He documented philosophy.
He explained strategy.
He articulated a way of thinking.
That distinction matters.
Facts age. Philosophy endures.
By focusing on principles rather than events, Ovia ensured that the book would outlive his tenure as CEO and remain relevant to leaders who would never work in his organization.
More importantly, he demonstrated what becomes possible when African executives own their narratives instead of allowing others -consultants, analysts, or foreign observers – to define them.
The Quiet Confidence of Leadership
My first close encounter with Jim Ovia remains vivid.
He was still the MD/CEO of Zenith Bank at the time. The venue was the Chartered Institute of Banking of Nigeria Annual Lecture at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He arrived alone.
No sirens.
No bodyguards.
No fanfare.
He walked in quietly and sat among ordinary members at the end of the hall. Many attendees had no idea who had just entered. I was one of the few who recognized him and quickly alerted the organizers before he was ushered to the high table.
That same day, Mr. Ovia – now Dr. Ovia – was being inducted as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
That moment revealed something books later confirmed: true leadership does not announce itself loudly. It is calm. Confident. Grounded.
He Didn’t Need to Write a Book
When Jim Ovia published Africa Rise & Shine in 2018, his estimated net worth was about $825 million.
He didn’t need a book to raise capital.
He didn’t need visibility.
He didn’t need credibility.
He could have comfortably stepped back and “enjoyed” the fruits of decades of work.
Instead, he chose to document his thinking.
That choice separates wealth from leadership.
Wealth accumulates assets.
Leadership preserves ideas.
By writing, Ovia ensured that his philosophy would remain accessible to future leaders long after boardrooms and balance sheets had changed.
The Power of Executive Books
Executive books don’t merely describe what happened.
They teach how to think.
They reveal decision-making frameworks.
They show how leaders interpret uncertainty.
They document principles that can be adapted across industries.
Across Africa, founders, CEOs, and public-sector leaders possess insights of equal depth and value. Many have built institutions under far more complex conditions than their global counterparts.
Yet too many of these stories remain undocumented.
The result is a leadership vacuum – where experience disappears when careers end.
Ovia avoided that fate by writing.
And today, his ideas continue to influence conversations about banking, governance, and African enterprise.
Your Narrative Matters
Your leadership journey holds insights that could reshape your industry.
Your strategy could become a blueprint others follow.
Your philosophy could influence the next generation of leaders.
Your mistakes could become lessons that save others years.
But only if you document them.
History does not remember executives who merely worked hard.
It remembers those who took the time to think – and document.
A Final Thought
Every serious leader eventually faces a quiet question:
What will remain after I leave the room?
Jim Ovia answered that question with a book.
Perhaps it’s time you considered yours.
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Paul Uduk is an executive book coach and founder of the Book Writing Clinic (BWC), helping founders, CEOs, and senior professionals document their leadership philosophies and build lasting intellectual legacies.
If you believe ideas deserve permanence, you’re already closer to authorship than you think.
