Virtual event brings technology leaders, policymakers and innovators together to examine agentic AI, financial technology and the future of Africa’s digital economy, with the unveiling of a new payment platform among its highlights.
Zenith Bank Plc is using the sixth edition of its flagship technology event to spotlight the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI), digital payments and emerging technologies on businesses, financial services and Nigeria’s digital economy.
The 2026 edition, tagged Future Forward 6.0, is holding on Thursday, November 5, under the theme, “AI: Embrace or Extinct,” with discussions focusing on how individuals, businesses and institutions can adapt to an increasingly AI-driven global economy.
For the first time since the event was introduced, the Tech Fair is being held virtually, a move expected to expand access to participants across Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The programme brings together international technology experts, Nigerian policymakers, financial services executives, entrepreneurs and innovators to examine the opportunities and challenges emerging from rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
Among the major speakers are Zack Kass, former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, and Megan Caywood Cooper, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Caywood.
Kass is scheduled to deliver a presentation titled The Next RenAIssance, exploring the opportunities emerging from advances in artificial intelligence, while Caywood Cooper will examine the application of agentic AI in financial services in a session titled Agentic AI in Finance – Closing the Capability Overhang.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, is also listed among the speakers, bringing a policy perspective to discussions around AI adoption and Nigeria’s technology development.
Agentic AI and the Future of Financial Services
A major focus of this year’s edition is agentic AI, an emerging category of artificial intelligence systems designed to perform tasks, make decisions and execute multi-step processes with varying degrees of human supervision.
The technology is increasingly attracting attention across financial services, where its potential applications include customer support, transaction processing, fraud monitoring, risk assessment and business automation.
A panel discussion titled Agentic AI Evolution – Intelligent, Disruptive and Inclusive is expected to examine how autonomous AI systems could reshape industries and the implications for businesses, employees and consumers.
The session will be moderated by CNN anchor and correspondent Eleni Giokos, with participants including NITDA’s Abdullahi; Chinwe Uzoho, Regional Managing Director for West Africa at Network International; Ehia Erhaboh, Co-Founder and President of AI in Nigeria; Tolu Flosbach, Head of Artificial Intelligence at PwC; and Dr Ikpenmosa Uhumuavbi of the University of Greater Manchester.
The discussions are expected to address the opportunities associated with AI deployment, alongside concerns around accountability, inclusion, governance and the responsible use of increasingly autonomous systems.
Another session, Scale, Secure, Sustain – Engineering Africa’s Digital Future, will examine the infrastructure and security requirements for building a competitive digital economy.
The panel is expected to feature industry leaders, including Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT, and Dr Rita I. Sike, Director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department.
Digital Payments and Financial Technology Take Centre Stage
Beyond artificial intelligence, the Tech Fair is placing significant attention on the development of digital payment infrastructure and the role of financial technology in expanding economic opportunities across Africa.
The programme includes a presentation by Mike Ogbalu III, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), on the role of pan-African payment infrastructure in accelerating trade.
Deniz Oran, Head of Payment Partnerships for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Google, is also scheduled to speak on emerging partnerships in next-generation and agentic digital payments.
A key highlight is Zenith Bank’s planned unveiling of Finopay, its flagship digital payment innovation platform, which will be introduced through a live interactive demonstration.
The focus on payment technology reflects the growing importance of efficient digital financial infrastructure to cross-border commerce, financial inclusion and the development of Africa’s digital economy.
As businesses and consumers increasingly rely on electronic transactions, payment providers and financial institutions face growing pressure to deliver faster, more secure and accessible services.
The fair’s discussions are expected to explore how collaboration between banks, fintech companies and technology providers can support the next phase of digital financial services.
Startup Innovation and Young Technology Entrepreneurs
The event will also provide a platform for emerging technology businesses and young innovators through its Zecathon, the bank’s technology innovation competition.
The competition is designed to give early-stage startups an opportunity to pitch their business models and technology-driven solutions, while a separate hackathon challenge will showcase prototypes developed by participating innovators.
The Junior Innovators Challenge will also spotlight young technology talents and student entrepreneurs, reinforcing the event’s focus on developing the next generation of Nigerian innovators.
The initiative builds on previous editions, which have supported startups working on solutions across retail, education, financial services and digital identity verification.
Among the innovations associated with earlier editions are JumpnPass, which developed a self-checkout solution for retail businesses, and CreditChek, which uses artificial intelligence and open banking technology to simplify credit verification.
At the 2025 edition, TrustLoop emerged as the hackathon winner with a digital identity verification solution, while Cubbes Technologies won the startup pitch competition with an AI-powered educational technology platform.
Through prize funding and mentorship, the bank’s technology initiative has sought to provide promising innovators with opportunities to develop and advance solutions to practical business and societal challenges.
Governance, Cybersecurity and AI Infrastructure
The programme also includes specialist masterclasses covering AI governance, model risk, ethics and accountability, cybersecurity in the age of artificial intelligence, and the infrastructure required to deploy AI solutions at scale.
Other areas scheduled for discussion include future payment technologies, the evolving relationship between fintech companies and traditional banks, cloud infrastructure, data residency and policy implications.
These sessions are particularly relevant as organisations seek to integrate AI into their operations while managing data protection, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance and operational risks.
For financial institutions, the adoption of AI presents opportunities to improve efficiency and customer experience, but also raises questions about the security of sensitive information, the reliability of automated decisions and the need for effective human oversight.
The event’s focus on these issues places technology adoption alongside the governance and infrastructure considerations required to sustain digital transformation.
Zenith Bank’s Technology Investment Agenda
Conceived by Zenith Bank Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, the Tech Fair has evolved into an annual platform for connecting technology talent, businesses, investors and industry leaders.
The initiative reflects the bank’s broader interest in supporting technology-driven innovation and encouraging young Nigerians to develop solutions with the potential to compete beyond the domestic market.
This year’s virtual format also represents a departure from previous physical editions, which were held in Lagos and featured technology exhibitions, panel discussions, startup competitions and masterclasses.
By moving the event online, the bank is seeking to widen participation and make discussions around emerging technologies more accessible to technology professionals, entrepreneurs, students and businesses.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in financial services, commerce and business operations, the central question for organisations is no longer simply whether to adopt the technology, but how to deploy it responsibly and translate it into measurable value.
Through Future Forward 6.0, Zenith Bank is bringing that conversation to the centre of discussions about Nigeria’s technology future, while providing a platform for innovators and industry stakeholders to explore the opportunities shaping the next phase of digital transformation.
