Zenith Bank has awarded ₦190 million to 13 winners of three competitions at the sixth edition of its technology event, Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026: Future Forward 6.0.
Held virtually for the first time on Thursday, November 5, the event brought together technology leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers and participants from around the world to discuss artificial intelligence and its implications for businesses, economies and society.
The competitions — the Hackathon, Startup Pitch Competition and the newly introduced Future Innovators Challenge — attracted more than 3,000 entries from developers, entrepreneurs and secondary school students. The prize pool was the largest in the event’s history.
In the Hackathon, Team Solo took first place and ₦35 million. 10x Brains came second, winning ₦20 million, while Rumour Hunters placed third and received ₦15 million. Òmìnira and Team Avera came fourth and fifth, respectively, and each received ₦10 million.
Cutstruct Technology Limited won the Startup Pitch Competition and ₦35 million. Sproutly took second place, receiving ₦20 million, while PharmaRun came third and won ₦15 million. AUI BRAND and ProDevs placed fourth and fifth, respectively, and each received ₦10 million.
The Future Innovators Challenge, which is aimed at secondary school students, was won by Caleb British International School, which received ₦5 million. Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, came second and won ₦3 million, while Regina Pacis International School placed third, receiving ₦2 million.
Cutstruct Technology Limited’s LiveVend platform connects developers and contractors with construction suppliers. Sproutly uses financial technology to simplify school payments, while PharmaRun connects customers with pharmacies to improve access to medicines. Caleb British International School’s ReLearn platform redistributes used textbooks to students in underserved communities.
The winners will also take part in a six-week mentorship and incubation programme to help refine their solutions, strengthen their business models and support growth.
In his welcome remarks, Zenith Bank founder Jim Ovia said he hoped to empower young people through technology and nurture innovators with global impact.
“My vision is to continue empowering young people through technology, with the hope that one day we will produce individuals who make an impact on the scale of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos,” he said.
The bank’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adaora Umeoji, said the rapid development of technology made it important for businesses and individuals to adapt. She cited the bank’s investments in digital infrastructure, products and services, including its Zenith Intelligent Virtual Assistant, ZIVA. She also highlighted the role of its fintech subsidiary, FinoPay, in developing the SMART AfCFTA Portal to support intra-African trade.
“The next generation of global AI champions can and should come from Africa,” Umeoji said. She urged participants to embrace emerging technologies and develop solutions that could be scaled.
“Do not fear AI. Embrace it. Whether you are developing a solution for a farm, clinic, classroom or factory, dare to think big, build ethically and create scalable solutions,” she said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu commended the bank’s contribution to technological development and said the state government was committed to supporting the sector.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, represented by National Space Research and Development Agency Director-General Matthew Adepoju, also commended the bank’s investment in technology and youth development. He said collaboration between government and the private sector could help turn ideas into businesses and jobs.
The event’s keynote speaker, Zach Kass, former head of go-to-market at OpenAI, discussed the development of AI and the emergence of autonomous agents. He urged participants to consider the role of human judgement and values as automation expands.
“We are approaching a world in which we will have to ask ourselves, regularly and seriously: what do we want to keep human, and what are we willing to automate?” he said.
Other speakers included Mike Ogbalu III, managing director and chief executive of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System; Deniz Oran, head of payment partnerships for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Google; Jane Egerton-Idehen, managing director and chief executive of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency; and Chinwe Uzoho, regional managing director for West Africa at Network International.
The Tech Fair was conceived by Ovia to support young Nigerians and promote the development of technology solutions with global relevance. Previous winners include JumpnPass, which developed a self-checkout solution for retailers; CreditChek, which uses AI and open banking to streamline credit verification; TrustLoop, winner of the 2025 Hackathon for its digital identity verification solution; and Cubbes Technologies, winner of the 2025 Startup Pitch Competition for its AI-powered education platform.
The bank said the Future Innovators Challenge was introduced to encourage technology skills among secondary school students and identify talent early.
