As the grand finale of the Zenith Tech Fair 4.0 Hackathon draws near, excitement is reaching a fever pitch in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. The highly anticipated event, hosted by Zenith Bank, will bring together the nation’s top innovators, investors, policymakers, and technology stakeholders for a celebration of creativity, digital excellence, and startup ingenuity. With over ₦50 million in prizes on the line, this year’s hackathon promises to be the biggest and most impactful yet.
The hackathon, which has become a flagship event on Nigeria’s innovation calendar, will feature a final pitch competition involving dozens of shortlisted startups. These finalists were selected from a nationwide application pool of hundreds of early-stage ventures working on cutting-edge solutions across sectors such as fintech, healthtech, identity systems, education, AI, logistics, and retail. Each team will present its product to a live audience of investors and leaders from government and industry, aiming to secure funding, visibility, and strategic partnerships.
What makes this year’s edition particularly special is the extraordinary panel of judges assembled to evaluate the finalists. These are not just professionals; they are industry icons whose careers have shaped Africa’s digital economy. Among them is Funke Opeke, founder of MainOne, widely credited with laying the infrastructure foundation for Nigeria’s internet ecosystem. Joining her is Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, the former head of Google West Africa and a global voice on digital transformation. Other judges include Dr. Ola Brown, founder of Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Company, whose investments in healthtech have redefined private sector care delivery in Africa; Folarin Aiyegbusi, who leads the Africa Startup Ecosystem at Google; and Guy Futi, CEO of ORDA Africa, one of the continent’s most promising restaurant tech platforms.
Also on the judging panel are Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA, a key government figure behind Nigeria’s digital policy and innovation infrastructure; Engr. Dr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), leading the country’s digital identity transformation; David Lanre Messan, founder of FirstFounders Inc., a venture studio backing scalable African startups; and Ada Jabaru, a UK-based regulatory expert and founder of Nistad Ltd, who specializes in helping African founders navigate global compliance systems.
The final pitch day is expected to attract high-level attendees, including the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwoolu, Zenith Bank executives, venture capital partners, international development agencies, and innovation leaders from across the continent. Also expected are top officials from Nigeria’s digital economy agencies, including NITDA and NIMC, as well as mentors from accelerator programs and alumni from previous Zenith Tech Fairs.
In previous years, the Zenith Tech Fair Hackathon has served as a launchpad for startups that have gone on to secure funding, scale operations, and even expand internationally. With the 2024 edition offering the most generous prize pool in the competition’s history, expectations are high that this year’s winners will emerge as the next generation of technology leaders. The event is not only a celebration of entrepreneurship but a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future as a knowledge-driven economy. This year’s event serves as a recognition for some of Nigeria’s most innovative technology entrepreneurs whose products are making a real impact and influencing the Nigerian economy. It is a reminder that great things are possible when real entrepreneurs use technology to make real impacts and solve problems.
As the final day approaches, anticipation is building for what promises to be a transformative moment for Nigeria’s digital future. Whether through groundbreaking fintech tools, identity infrastructure, AI-powered solutions, or next-generation consumer platforms, the Zenith Tech Fair 4.0 is poised to showcase the very best of African ingenuity and reward the builders shaping tomorrow.