The fourth edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 4.0: Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity & Growth Imperatives – The Impact of AI”, concluded on Thursday in Lagos with 10 finalists from the hackathon session sharing a total of N77.5m in prize money.
Over 1,700 participants competed in the hackathon, showcasing innovative solutions in technology.
Hackathon Winners and Prizes
- Grand Prize Winner (N25m): JumpnPass, a self-checkout technology solution, also received a six-week mentorship and incubation program scheduled for December 2024 to February 2025.
- First Runner-Up (N20m): CreditChek, leveraging AI and open banking for streamlined income and credit history verification.
- Second Runner-Up (N15m): Salad Africa, providing seamless credit integration for digital platforms and software companies.
- Other Finalists (N2.5m each): Regxta, CashAfrica, Middleman, Messenger, Pocketfood, Famasi Africa, and Kitovu.
Zenith Bank’s Commitment to Innovation
Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank, Adaora Umeoji, praised the vision of the bank’s founder, Dr. Jim Ovia, for establishing the Tech Fair initiative. She emphasized the importance of empowering Nigerian youth and fostering innovation, citing the country’s youth population—70% of the total—as an economic asset.
“This prestigious annual event was created to empower and nurture young fertile minds. We hope to produce the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk from the Zenith Bank Hackathons,” she said.
Umeoji stressed that innovation is key to ensuring the longevity of institutions, noting that failure to innovate could lead to obsolescence.
Government’s Support for Innovation
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his goodwill message, encouraged a global approach to business in Nigeria. “We can’t continue to act locally; we need to think globally. Platforms like this reassure you of our readiness to provide an enabling environment for your ideas and innovative solutions,” he said.
Key Highlights of the Fair
- Launch of EazyByZenith, the bank’s new digital wallet to enhance its retail and financial inclusion strategy.
- Presentations on leading innovations in Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and financial intelligence.
- Keynote address by Lord Robin Speculand, a renowned Strategy & Digital Implementation Specialist, on “Banking Transformation in a Digital World.”
- Goodwill messages by Zenith Bank Chairman Jim Ovia and Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by Dr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser on Economic Matters.
The event underscored Zenith Bank’s commitment to fostering technological growth and creating opportunities for Nigerian innovators to compete on a global stage.