Zenith Bank has splashed a record ₦190 million on 13 winners of its technology competitions, rewarding young innovators and startups developing solutions to problems across Africa.
The winners emerged from three competitions at the sixth edition of the Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026, tagged Future Forward 6.0, as the financial institution stepped up efforts to promote innovation and strengthen Africa’s digital economy.
Held virtually for the first time on November 5, 2026, the event attracted more than 3,000 entries from developers, entrepreneurs and secondary school students.
With the theme, “AI: Embrace or Extinct,” the fair brought together technology experts, business leaders, policymakers and innovators to examine the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on businesses, economies and society.
The ₦190 million prize money represents the biggest financial reward since the technology fair was introduced.
The competitions featured the Hackathon, Startup Pitch Competition and the newly introduced Future Innovators Challenge, designed to identify and encourage technology talents among secondary school students.
In the Hackathon, Team Solo emerged overall winner, pocketing ₦35 million, while 10x Brains came second with ₦20 million.
Rumour Hunters finished third with ₦15 million, while Òmìnira and Team Avera took the fourth and fifth positions, receiving ₦10 million each.
At the Startup Pitch Competition, Cutstruct Technology Limited emerged winner with ₦35 million, followed by Sproutly with ₦20 million.
PharmaRun came third with ₦15 million, while AUI BRAND and ProDevs received ₦10 million each for finishing fourth and fifth.
The newly introduced Future Innovators Challenge also produced three winners from secondary schools.
Caleb British International School clinched the top prize of ₦5 million, while Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, received ₦3 million for coming second. Regina Pacis International School finished third with ₦2 million.
Some of the winning innovations include Cutstruct Technology Limited’s LiveVend platform, which connects construction developers and contractors with suppliers to simplify procurement.
Sproutly provides financial technology solutions for school payments, while PharmaRun makes access to genuine medicines easier through its pharmacy network.
Caleb British International School’s ReLearn platform, which won the secondary school competition, focuses on redistributing used textbooks to students in underserved communities.
Beyond the cash prizes, the winners will undergo a six-week mentorship and incubation programme to help them improve their products, strengthen their business models and expand their operations.
Speaking at the event, Zenith Bank founder, Jim Ovia, reaffirmed his commitment to empowering young people through technology and producing innovators capable of competing on the global stage.
Ovia expressed the hope that Nigeria and Africa would produce technology entrepreneurs with the global influence of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos.
The bank’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dame Adaora Umeoji, also challenged African innovators to embrace artificial intelligence rather than fear its growing influence.
She said the bank’s commitment to technological advancement was reflected in its investments in digital infrastructure, products and services, including its Zenith Intelligent Virtual Assistant (ZIVA).
Umeoji also highlighted the role of the bank’s fintech subsidiary, FinoPay, in developing the SMART AfCFTA Portal to promote trade among African countries.
She declared that Africa had the potential to produce the next generation of global artificial intelligence champions.
“The next generation of global AI champions can and should come from Africa,” she said.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended Zenith Bank for its contribution to technological development, describing the financial institution as a major driver of innovation.
He said his administration remained committed to supporting the technology ecosystem and ensuring Lagos maintained its position as a leading destination for innovation.
Also speaking, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, represented by the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Professor Matthew Adepoju, praised the bank’s investment in technology and youth empowerment.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between government and the private sector in turning innovative ideas into businesses and employment opportunities.
The event also featured technology experts, including Zach Kass, former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, who delivered the keynote address.
Kass examined the future of artificial intelligence and the emergence of autonomous AI agents, challenging participants to consider how much of human activity should be handed over to machines.
Other speakers included Mike Ogbalu III of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, Deniz Oran of Google, Jane Egerton-Idehen of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi of the National Information Technology Development Agency and Chinwe Uzoho of Network International.
Conceived by Ovia, the Zenith Tech Fair has evolved into a platform for connecting technology entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship and business opportunities.
Previous beneficiaries include JumpnPass, which developed a self-checkout solution for retail businesses; CreditChek, which uses artificial intelligence and open banking for credit verification; TrustLoop, winner of the 2025 Hackathon; and Cubbes Technologies Limited, winner of the 2025 Startup Pitch Competition.
With the introduction of the Future Innovators Challenge, Zenith Bank is extending its technology investment to secondary school students, in a move aimed at identifying and nurturing young talents before they enter the business world.
