Tier-one financial institution Zenith Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to technological innovation with the successful hosting of the fifth edition of its flagship tech fair, Future Forward 5.0, at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.

The event featured a hackathon, product exhibitions, and a start-up pitch competition. Finalists will advance to a mentorship and incubation programme aimed at refining and scaling their innovations.

Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, said the annual fair aligns with his long-standing vision of empowering young Nigerians through technology. He expressed optimism that the country’s youth will continue to shape global innovation and praised the bank’s staff for sustaining a culture of creativity despite economic headwinds.

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, said the theme for this year’s edition “Tech for Success: Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate” — reflects Zenith Bank’s commitment to embracing next-generation technologies transforming financial services.

She noted that Nigeria is now in an era where emerging innovations from digital platforms and robotic-assisted surgeries to virtual learning, autonomous vehicles, electric cars and drones are becoming everyday realities. “What once seemed distant is now the global standard,” she said.

Umeoji credited Dr. Ovia for laying the foundation of Zenith Bank’s technology-driven culture since the early 1990s. Under his leadership, the bank pioneered advancements such as ATM galleries, off-site ATMs in supermarkets, early internet banking, SMS and email transaction alerts, and modern POS machines. She also acknowledged the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government in enabling the bank’s digital evolution.

Highlighting the global acceleration of technological growth, she referenced data showing that most of the world’s data was generated within the last two years, while artificial intelligence is projected to grow at more than 28 per cent annually through 2030. She also pointed to the rising adoption of renewable energy technologies and the expanding global footprint of blockchain solutions, expected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars in value by decade’s end.

However, Umeoji warned that rapid digital growth comes with risks. Citing the rise of deepfakes and online manipulation, she referenced a recent incident involving the circulation of a doctored video of her, describing it as a reminder of the need for stronger digital protections. She urged innovators to build technologies that solve real problems while safeguarding users from emerging threats.

Reiterating that technology remains central to Zenith Bank’s strategy, she highlighted its investments in youth empowerment, construction of ICT centres across Nigeria, and support for university digital transformation projects. She added that the bank’s evolution through systems such as Zenith 2000, Phoenix, T24/Mysis and now Oracle Flexcube reflects its drive for operational excellence.

Umeoji encouraged young innovators to build solutions that can compete globally, noting that previous competition winners including Jump & Pass and Credit Check have used the platform to attract investment and expand their operations.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, represented at the event, praised Dr. Ovia for pioneering technology adoption in Nigeria’s banking sector, saying many digital innovations used today trace back to his leadership. He also commended Umeoji and the bank’s board for creating platforms that nurture young innovators.

In her keynote presentation titled “From Possibility to Practice: Unleashing GenAI and Agentic AI Full Potential,” Chief Technologist for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Amazon Web Services, Dr. Shivagami Gugan, explored how organisations are adopting generative and agentic AI to solve complex problems. She discussed the shift toward autonomous, goal-driven AI systems powered by cloud infrastructure, citing examples from Amazon’s operations. She said 2025 marks the year when companies worldwide are no longer merely testing AI but deploying it at scale for measurable impact.

Co-creator of Skype, Mr. Jonas Kjellberg, delivered one of the most inspiring sessions of the fair, pledging to invest heavily in Africa’s technology ecosystem. “As an entrepreneur, I believe Africa is going to be the next continent for big innovation,” he said. “I’m going to spend most of my money and my energy investing in Africa.”