James "Jim" Ovia was born in 1951 into the large family of Obi Olihe of Agbor-Obi, in what is now Agbor, Delta State.
[11][12] Ovia is the founder of Visafone Communications Limited[13] and the chairman of both the Nigerian Software Development Initiative (NSDI) and the National Information Technology Advisory Council (NITAC).
He was a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (1999–2007) and served on the board of American International School, Lagos (2001–2003).
He is the founder and Chairman of Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE), a philanthropic organization focused on providing scholarships to the less privileged.
[20][21] In October 2022, Jim Ovia was conferred with the Nigerian national honor of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) by President Muhammadu Buhari.