Held at Eko Hotel, the Zenith Tech Fair 4.0 brought together industry leaders, tech enthusiasts, startups, and stakeholders to explore cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of business and lifestyle.

Highlights of Zenith Bank Tech Fair 4.0

Dr. Jim Ovia, the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank, inspired thousands of people who gathered at the event, emphasizing the importance of the annual tech fair.

Dr. Ovia also spoke about future plans to properly integrate technology in Zenith Bank for better and more efficient services.

Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, the group managing director of Zenith Bank Plc, in her welcome address, appreciated the chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia, for birthing the idea that led to the establishment of the tech fair initiative five years ago.

She thanked him for his vision in utilising technology to revolutionise the world of business and banking.

Dame Umeoji also stressed the importance of innovation and embedded finance in ensuring strong and enduring institutions.

According to her,

“It is paramount that we adapt and adopt technology to stay ahead of the curve. We have seen various cases of companies that failed because of their lack of innovation. It is quite obvious that when companies fail to innovate, they can easily be displaced. So, this is not the time to be orthodox; innovation should be a top priority for us.”

The GMD said Zenith Bank remains committed to providing digital solutions that empower businesses and individuals.

In his goodwill message, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, called for a global approach to doing business in the country.

“What we need to do is to be able to enhance our product and services in order to compete in the world. We can’t continue to act local, we need to think global. Anything that we’re doing now, we need to be able to know that we are not just serving a local market, we actually want to serve the global market, and I’m glad that consistently, for the past four years, I have kept up with the Zenith Tech Fair.

Inspiring Keynote presentation

Robin Speculand, an expert digital implementation specialist graced the event all the way from Singapore.

He took the audience through series of trivia and quizzes to help them understand the evolving digital transformation landscape.

Speculand stated that for business to grow and evolve its technology there has to be a digital mindset. He expatiated on digital mindset thus;

“Empowerment: every business must carry the mindset that their services must empower people

“Platforms: the digital mindset allows businesses make use of multiple platforms that can be accessible by anyone

“Experimentation: a business must be ready to try out new things and take risks.

“Asking the right questions: a digitally minded person must know the right questions to ask

“Customer centric: the business must focus on what the customers want and tailor the products or services to suit their needs.

“Stakeholders: the business must have powerful stakeholders that are also very knowledgeable and experienced in the tech space

“Agility: a digitally minded business must be active and quick

He also mentioned that, digital transformation fails sometimes because some companies want to change the entire culture of the people or because they are transforming their entire business thereby losing the policy that the customers have come to trust.

“Digital transformation is not about having a digital strategy it is about having strategies in a digital world. Also, at the heart of digital transformation always comes the customer”, he said.

Danilo McGary,  a renowned expert in digital transformation and AI, also enlightened the audience about the possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI).

“AI has been in existence for over 60 years but was not really developed until now. There are three kinds of AI; Narrow AI; Traditional AI which is the regular AI that helps in answering questions just like ChatGPT or Gemini, and Artificial Generative Intelligence (AGI) is an AI system that can do anything a human or a group of humans can do and do it even better”.

“The Generative AI has advanced so much that it can learn things on its own without any prompt or instruction”, he said.

Dr. Jania Okwechime, the partner and AI | data leader for Deloitte, Africa, added that generative AI helps to increase efficiency and transform businesses.

“Gen AI can be used for fraud detection to prevent cybercrimes. It can also be used for document search and synthesis”, she said.

Panel Discussions | Technology in Business and Governance

The Zenith Tech Fair 4.0 also featured panel session with Wole Olutoye, Ada Jabaru, Funke Opeke, Guy Kuti, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Dr. Anuwal Adam Sa’ad, speaking.

They unanimously agreed on the need to cautiously improve application of technology to every sector of the economy, especially the health sector to promote efficiency, accuracy and effectiveness, securing of documents to avoid impersonation and theft, amongst other discussions.

Innovative Product Launches and Exhibitions

The tech fair served as a platform for unveiling groundbreaking solutions. Leading exhibitors, including Ethnos, ZOHO, Zone, Vertiv, ZamZamPay, Dataflex, Zenith Insurance, etc, showcased products ranging from AI-powered cybersecurity solutions, data centre tools to cutting-edge fintech innovations.

Zecathon

Meanwhile, 10 contestants in the hackathon session at the fourth edition of the Zenith Tech Fair (#ZenithBankTechfair2024) received a total of N77.5m in prize money.

The winners emerged at the tech fair themed ‘Future Forward 4.0: Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity & Growth Imperatives – The Impact of AI,’ held on Thursday in Lagos.

The prize money was shared among 10 finalists who emerged from the over 1,700 contestants took part in the hackathon [READ MORE HERE].

Zenith Bank’s Digital Innovation

The bank demonstrated its pioneering digital banking services, reinforcing its role as a leader in Nigeria’s financial technology space. Attendees experienced live demonstrations of the bank’s seamless payment solutions, mobile apps, and innovative tools designed to enhance user experience.

Driving Nigeria’s Tech Ecosystem Forward

Zenith Bank Tech Fair 4.0 emphasized collaboration as the key to accelerating Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. By connecting innovators, investors, and businesses, the event underscored Zenith Bank’s leadership in promoting technology as a driver of sustainable development.

Social Media Buzz

The event trended on social media platforms, with the hashtag #ZenithBankTechFair4 gaining traction among attendees and tech enthusiasts. Users shared highlights, photos, and key takeaways, further amplifying the fair’s impact.

Looking Ahead

As Zenith Bank Tech Fair 4.0 concludes, anticipation builds for the next edition. With its dedication to championing innovation, Zenith Bank continues to pave the way for technological progress and digital transformation in Nigeria.

*For more more stories on tech initiatives, keep following Techeconomy on social media.

This strategic move solidifies Ethnos’ position as an innovative cybersecurity firm in the country, showcasing their commitment to advancing cybersecurity through groundbreaking innovation.

The introduction of Aquila was took at the just concluded Tech Fair 2023, where Ethnos captivated technology enthusiasts, stakeholders and spectators with an impressive display of their world-class mobile application solution.

Peter Ejiofor, the Chief Executive Officer of Ethnos expressed his enthusiasm for the invitation to the fair by Zenith Bank Plc, highlighting the confidence and trust the bank has placed in Ethnos over the years.

Ejiofor stated;

“Being part of this event is a testament to the level of confidence Zenith Bank and the organizers have in us. Our longstanding relationship with the bank has been instrumental in establishing this trust. We are here to showcase our expertise, built over decades in the cybersecurity domain, and highlight our commitment to providing top-notch solutions.”

Addressing the media, Ejiofor explained, “that Aquila is a powerful software that scans .apk, ipa files for vulnerabilities, including comprehensive protection and monitoring of your mobile apps for potential threats. This development aligns with our mission to bring world-class cybersecurity solutions to their customers and empower local talent in the field.”

Olamide Ajayi, head, development for Aquila, emphasized the significance of their product, stating;

“Aquila is security platform that scans mobile apps for insecure data storage, insecure communications, weak authentication, insufficient cryptography, weak authorisation, client code quality, code tampering and lots more. The platform also prevents your app from reverse engineering and safeguarding it against cyber threats. It is a must-have solution for organisations that have mobile application ensuring the security of their products from breaches.”

In addition to aquila, Ethnos also presented her cost efficient Managed SIEM solution designed for cyber threat monitoing, prevention and remediation.

Miracle Chukwudebe, a Security Architect with Ethnos, highlighted their focus on providing affordable cybersecurity solutions for small businesses. “We understand the budget constraints faced by SMEs, and that’s why we offer Managed Security solutions that are cost-effective.”

Ejiofor concluded, “As an organization, we take pride in our world-class team, comprising Security Architects, Implementers, Engineers, Consultants, Developers, Product Managers, and Customer Experience Personnel. Working diligently to ensure the safety of their clients’ cyber assets.”

Ethnos also showcased some of their security solutions including Security Training, Managed Security Services, Compliance Certification (BAU), CISO as a Service.

The event also served as a platform to announce their latest offerings, particularly in the realm of Managed SIEM Platform, designed to improve the protection of digital asset.

The Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2023, dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and utilization of emerging technologies, features Zecathon, providing startups and tech enthusiasts with a platform to present innovative solutions.

The fair also includes a tech exhibition with leading IT firms, spanning cybersecurity solution providers to Fintechs. Exceptional ideas presented at the fair stand a chance to win grants and support from Zenith Bank.

Ethnos is a leading indigenous cybersecurity firm committed to providing world-class cybersecurity solutions.

With decades of experience, Ethnos has established itself as a trusted partner for businesses, offering a comprehensive suite of services to safeguard against cyber threats.