LAGOS, Nov. 20, 2025 –Zenith Bank has awarded a total of ₦140 million to ten African innovators at the Fifth Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, “Future Forward 5.0: Tech for Success – Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate,” after a fiercely competitive hackathon and startup pitch contest that drew more than 2,000 participants from across the continent.
The flagship technology event, held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, featured an expanded dual-competition structure comprising a high-stakes Hackathon for product development and a Startup Pitch Competition for emerging ventures. Thousands of developers, founders, and young entrepreneurs converged for what has become one of Africa’s most influential innovation platforms.
Two teams clinched the top prize of ₦30 million each.
Trust Loop won the Hackathon category for its digital KYC and liveness-verification solution, while Cubbes Technologies Limited emerged winner of the Startup Pitch Competition with an AI-powered EdTech platform designed to boost learning outcomes and career readiness.
Eight additional finalists received ₦10 million each in non-dilutive funding. They include Venille Ltd, Sowota, FLOW, InvoPay, Zenith Intelliscore, The Very Hacked Men, Konfam, and Zerax. All ten teams will undergo a six-week incubation and mentorship programme running from December 2025 to February 2026.
Delivering the welcome address, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank, thanked the Founder and Chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, for his vision in institutionalising the Tech Fair. She underscored the accelerating pace of technological disruption, citing Harvard Business Review research on the speed of human progress.
“The next breakthrough will not take a lifetime. It could emerge from anyone in this room,” she said. “We stand ready to support innovators in turning ideas into reality.”
In his goodwill message, Ovia reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to nurturing technology talent.
“My vision is to empower our youth so that one day Africa will produce its own Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his remarks, called for sustained investment in digital talent development, noting that Africa’s youth population will dominate global demographics by 2050.
“We want to make Lagos the human capital centre of the world — where Microsoft and Google can raise a million tech experts,” he said.
This year’s fair featured high-impact keynote speeches from Sitoyo Lopokoiyit (MD, M-PESA Africa), Jonas Kjellberg (Co-Creator, Skype), and Dr. Shivagami Gugan (Chief Technologist, AWS for META regions), focusing on Generative AI, Agentic AI, and cloud technologies shaping the future economy.
Additional goodwill messages were delivered by Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and a representative of the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago.
Participants also benefited from exclusive masterclasses delivered by global giants including McKinsey & Company, Huawei, Check Point, and Microsoft, covering cybersecurity, cloud transformation, and disruptive innovation. Dual-panel discussions moderated by CNN Anchor Zain Asher featured leading African tech executives, founders, and regulators including Adaora Nwodo, Aisha Tofa, David Kpakima, Dr. Stanley Jacob, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Gary Fowler, Bradwin Roper, and CBN IT Director Omoyemen A. Jide-Samuel.
A musical performance by Nigerian artist Spyro added entertainment to what participants hailed as the most ambitious edition of the fair so far.
Zenith Bank says it remains committed to building an innovation-driven ecosystem, sustaining its investments in mentorship, capital mobilisation, and enterprise growth for Africa’s next generation of tech leaders.
The bank’s dominance in Nigeria’s financial sector continues to attract global recognition, with recent honours including Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 16th consecutive year in The Banker’s 2025 Top 1000 World Banks ranking, and multiple awards from Euromoney, Global Finance, World Finance, International Banker, Ethical Boardroom and
📌 Editor’s Note: For content partnerships and collaborations, reach out via editor@naija247news.com
Naija247news Media Group LLC is committed to ethical, independent journalism that serves the public interest. Our editorial process prioritizes accuracy, fairness, and transparency in reporting. All content is fact-checked and held to the highest standards of integrity. Learn more in our full editorial policy here.
© 2025 Naija247news Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from Naija247news Media Group LLC.
Reporting by Press Release in Lagos, Nigeria.
