Speaking at the ceremony, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commended  the Zenith Bank for its contribution to the development of Ghana’s financial sector, especially in the deepening of financial intermediation.

The President described the Zenith Bank as “a pan-African bank” which was operating in several places on the continent, and in the West African sub-region.

Zenith Bank (Ghana) Limited is a privately owned African bank incorporated in April 2005 under the Ghana Banking Act 2004 (ACT 673) and a subsidiary of Zenith Bank PLC.

President Akufo-Addo said the bank was one of the institutions which with encouragement and support, could bring about an integrated, united West Africa and Africa, “that, I believe, is the platform for the future prosperity of our people.”

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President Akufo-Addo being supported by Dr (Mrs) Mary Chinery-Hesse (2nd right), the Board Chair, Zenith Bank, and Mr Jim Ovia (CON), Group Chairman, Zenith Bank, to cut the tape to inaugurate the building

Rationale

Explaining the rationale for responding to the invitation to attend the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo stated that: “What is going on here [at Zenith Bank] ticks of so many boxes that are important to me, and I thought I should come here and show my solidarity with what is going on here.”

The President said in the case of Mr Jim Ovia, founder of Zenith Bank, “We have, first of all, the example of a dynamic entrepreneur who has built this company which has gone global. It is in South Africa, England, China and several places in Africa.

 “The initiative and sense of risk-taking and entrepreneurship that Zenith Bank represents is what I believe will drive our country and our continent forward. We need many more Jim Ovias. The more the merrier,” he said.

Commendation

President Akufo-Addo also congratulated Zenith Bank on “paying attention to such an important other aspect of our development, that is the education of our young people. This scholarship to Ashesi University is a tremendous initiative, and I applaud you very much for it.”

The President assured the bank of the government’s maximum support, and wished all those associated with Zenith Bank the best of luck in the coming years.