It is so amazing what youth are capable of when given the right tools and opportunities. According to investigations, the most essential technology fairs in the world are fundamental events in the innovation and development industry. They represent a unique opportunity to learn about the latest trends, products, and technological advances that are shaping the future. The digitalisation of self-employed professionals and SMEs is essential for their growth, and these fairs are a must-attend event to stay updated on the latest trends.
Moreover, these events attract companies, professionals, technology enthusiasts, and media from around the world, becoming key platforms for networking and collaboration.
In this article, we present a budding yet significant technology fair in the Nigeria scheduled for 2024, analysing its relevance and what we can expect from them.
The Zenith Bank Tech fair, held annually at the prestigious Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, is undoubtedly one of the most influential technology fairs in the country today. Organised by the Zenith Bank Plc, the Tech fair aims to help people understand and utilize emerging technologies to enhance various aspects of human life.
According to the Jim Ovia owned financial institution, the event is made up of a Zecathon for startups and tech enthusiasts to present innovative tech solutions. The most impactful ideas will win grants and other support from the bank.
It will also feature presentations by leading local and international tech leaders, while Tech exhibitions by leading IT companies, Fintechs, and Startups will also be held.
The Tech Fair will give participants the opportunities to gain knowledge about emerging technologies and establish valuable connections with other participants and technology enthusiasts.
Holding on Thursday, November 21, 2024, the Tech Fair will bring together the brightest minds in technology and consumer electronics to showcase innovative products and discuss future trends.
At the event, participants will re-live the moments that have shaped technological innovations over the years, with the theme, “Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity and growth imperatives.”
According to Jim Ovia, “the world has gone so digital, and the Nigerian economy is being digitised. There are over 100 fintech companies in Nigeria alone that are doing extremely well.”
Dame Adaora Umeoji convincingly argued that “40% of startups will die in the next ten years if they do not incorporate technology in their business model. That underscores the importance of technology in everything we do.”
The founder of Moven and author of Bank 4.0, Brett King, said the biggest economies in the world in the 2030s will be smart economies.
Winners that emerged in the hackathon session of the Second Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 3.0” won a total sum of N59m in prize money.
The finalists who totalled ten in number emerged from the over 500 contestants that took part in the session with Sync, a team collaboration and workflow management platform that provides synergy, enables project management, task planning, messaging, payments, scheduling and people operations, emerging as the overall winner and taking home the grand prize of N20m.
The first runner-up, Skill Up With Kahdsole, a social-tech startup that provides an end-to-end platform for learning technical and vocational skills to empower young people, won N15 million and a mentorship programme with Seedstars, while the second runner-up, Tribapay, a payment processing gateway that allows for cross-border payments and transactions in Nigeria and Ghana, won N10 million as well as a mentorship programme with Seedstars.
This is the first Zenith Bank Tech Fair, under the leadership of the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Adaora Umeoji OON. It will be a really exciting experience for the banker with over 20 years of experience.
Conceived in the mould of global technological events such as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and EmTech Asia, the fair will showcase leading technology innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Robotics, Big Data, FinTech, Augmented Reality, Data Analytics, 5G and Communication Technologies, among others. The event will also feature Hackathon sessions to identify innovative startups, panel discussions, masterclasses, and exhibitions.
The event will be headlined by Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith, Adaora Umeoji OON, the MD of Zenith; while eminent IT practitioners who represent top global brands will make presentations.
For 2024, Zenith Tech Fair is expected to continue being the main stage for launching the latest tech products.
Expected at the event are the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the CEO, Huawei Technologies, Chris Lu, among others.
