Zenith Bank Plc has awarded a total of ₦140 million in cash prizes to ten African innovators to scale their transformative solutions following a fiercely contested Hackathon and Startup Pitch Competition at the fifth edition of the Zenith Tech Fair. The event, themed “Future Forward 5.0: Tech for Success – Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate,” was held on Thursday, 20 November 2025, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The 2025 edition introduced an expanded dual-competition structure comprising a high-stakes Hackathon for product development and a Startup Pitch Competition for early-stage ventures. Thousands of developers, founders, and entrepreneurs from across the continent participated.

From more than 2,000 entrants, ten finalists emerged in the Zecathon finals. Two major winners secured the top prize of ₦30 million each. Trust Loop won the Hackathon for its innovative solution enabling seamless digital KYC and liveness verification, while Cubbes Technologies Ltd claimed the top spot in the Startup Pitch Competition for its AI-driven EdTech platform designed to enhance learning and career readiness.

The remaining eight finalists—Venille Ltd, Sowota, FLOW, InvoPay, Zenith Intelliscore, The Very Hacked Men, Konfam, and Zerax—were each awarded ₦10 million in non-dilutive funding. All ten finalists will also participate in a six-week mentorship and incubation programme, scheduled to run from December 2025 to February 2026, to support product refinement and strategic growth.

In her welcome address, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, expressed gratitude to the bank’s Founder and Chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, for his visionary leadership in establishing the Zenith Tech Fair. Reflecting on the urgency of innovation, she said:

“Our theme this year, ‘Tech for Success: Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate’, is timely. To appreciate its urgency, it helps to reflect on the speed of human progress. According to the Harvard Business Review, it took humanity millions of years to master fire, yet only 66 years to move from the first powered flight to landing on the moon. The lesson is simple—the next technological breakthrough will not take a lifetime. It will emerge sooner than we expect and could come from any one of you in this room today. We are confident that this Tech Fair will produce innovators who will change the world, and we stand ready to support you to turn your ideas into reality.”

In his goodwill message, the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to nurturing talent and technological innovation. He said:

“This fifth edition reflects our unwavering commitment to create value through technology, innovation, and talent development. My vision is to continue to empower the youth through technology, with the hope that one day we will produce the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos.”

The Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also delivered a goodwill message, calling for increased investment in technological empowerment for young Nigerians. He said the fair demonstrated the kind of innovation that policymakers must continue to support.

“By 2050, half of the youth population in the world will be in Africa, and many of them will be in Nigeria. If they are in Nigeria, they will likely be in Lagos. We need to give them the opportunity and space to fly. We want to make Lagos the human capital centre of the world—where Microsoft and Google will think of raising a million tech experts.”

The event featured cutting-edge demonstrations on the role of Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Cloud Computing in driving economic growth, with keynote addresses delivered by Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, Managing Director of M-PESA Africa; Jonas Kjellberg, Co-Creator of Skype; and Dr. Shivagami Gugan, Chief Technologist for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at AWS.

Additional goodwill messages were shared by the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, and the Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, represented by the Head of Service, Mr. Abubakar Sadiq Idris.

This year’s fair also offered exclusive masterclasses delivered by global technology and consulting leaders including McKinsey & Company, Huawei, Check Point, and Microsoft. The sessions provided participants with world-class insights on cybersecurity, advanced cloud solutions, and disruptive technologies.

Alongside a musical performance by Nigerian artiste Spyro, the fair hosted two highly interactive panel sessions, both moderated by Zain Asher, CNN Anchor. The panels featured high-level discussants, including Adaora Nwodo, Founder and Executive Director, NexaScale; Aisha Tofa, Board Chair, Startup Kano Centre for Innovation Development; David Kpakima, Co-Founder, Rasab Group, Sierra Leone; Dr. Stanley Jacob, President, FINTECHNGR; Iyinoluwa S. Aboyeji, CEO, Future Africa; Gary Fowler, CEO and Founder, GSD Venture Studios; Bradwin Roper, Chief Payments and Partnerships Officer at JUMO; and Mrs. Omoyemen A. Jide Samuel, Director of Information Technology, CBN.

Zenith Bank reaffirmed its commitment to fostering an ecosystem where innovation can thrive, ensuring that the next generation of African tech leaders has the resources, mentorship, and capital required to achieve global impact and scale.

The bank’s sustained excellence continues to earn widespread recognition. Zenith Bank was named the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the sixteenth consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker. It also won Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025.

Zenith Bank remains committed to fostering an ecosystem where innovation thrives, ensuring that the next generation of African tech leaders have the capital, mentorship, and resources required to achieve global scalability and impact.

The Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the sixteenth consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker and “Nigeria’s Best Bank” at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025. The Bank was also awarded Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024 and 2025, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023; and was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.

Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for five consecutive years from 2021 to 2025 in the World Finance Banking Awards and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 and 2024 Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025 and ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.