The Zenith Tech Fair 4.0 culminated in a fiercely contested hackathon, where a total of N77.5 million in prize money was awarded to the top finalists. The event, held on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, was themed “Future Forward 4.0: Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity & Growth Imperatives – The Impact of AI.”
The N77.5 million was distributed among ten finalists who emerged from over 1,700 contestants. JumpnPass, an innovative self-checkout technology reshaping Africa’s retail sector, claimed the grand prize of N25 million. In addition, the winners will receive a six-week mentorship and incubation program designed to help them scale their businesses effectively from December 2024 to February 2025.
The first runner-up, CreditChek, an AI-powered credit and verification service for financial institutions, won N20 million and a mentorship program. The second runner-up, Salad Africa, a startup offering integrated credit solutions for digital platforms, took home N15 million and a mentorship program. Other finalists, including Regxta, CashAfrica, Middleman, Messenger, Pocketfood, Famasi Africa, and Kitovu, each received N2.5 million.
During her welcome address, Zenith Bank’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, expressed gratitude to the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Dr. Jim Ovia, for launching the Tech Fair initiative five years ago. She acknowledged his vision for using technology to transform business and banking. Umeoji emphasized that the hackathon aims to empower young minds and foster innovation. “We hope to produce the next Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, or Elon Musk from these hackathons,” she remarked, noting that 70% of Nigeria’s population is youth—a valuable resource for driving innovation and job creation.
In his address, Lagos State Governor, His Excellency Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stressed the importance of adopting a global mindset for business and innovation. He commended the Zenith Tech Fair for its consistent growth and encouraged continued collaboration to create a conducive environment for innovation.
The fair also showcased the launch of Zenith Bank’s new digital wallet, EazyByZenith, which aligns with the bank’s retail and financial inclusion goals. Presentations at the fair covered a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, including AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and financial intelligence. The keynote speech on “Banking Transformation in a Digital World” was delivered by Robin Speculand, a renowned expert in digital strategy.
Notable figures such as Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, His Excellency Hon. Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of Nigeria (represented by Dr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the Presidency on Economic Matters), and global tech leaders participated in the event. Key industry experts, including Danilo McGarry (Digital Transformation & AI), Jania Okwechime (Deloitte), and Rupert Nicolay (Microsoft), also made significant contributions.
A panel discussion moderated by Wole Odeyele, Client Technology Lead for Microsoft Inc., featured prominent speakers such as Funke Opeke, CEO of MainOne; Guy Futi, CEO of Orda; and Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA, among others.
The Zenith Bank startup pitch competition and incubation program aims to fast-track the growth of high-potential Nigerian startups, particularly in sectors like Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity, Fintech, HealthTech, and Agritech. By providing access to critical resources and mentorship, the program supports startups in scaling their innovative solutions to meet global demand.
