Programme Outline

Future Forward 6.0
9:00 - 9:10 AM
10 mins

National Anthem and Welcome / Introduction of Dignitaries

Opening formalities, national anthem, and welcoming of distinguished guests and attendees.

9:10 - 9:20 AM
10 mins

Welcome Address by GMD/CEO

Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON
Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON

GMD / CEO, Zenith Bank Plc

9:25 - 9:35 AM
10 mins

Founder's Message

Jim Ovia, CFR
Jim Ovia, CFR

Founder & Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc

9:35 - 9:45 AM
10 mins

Video Documentary: Past Tech Fair & Zecathon Highlights

Retrospective video presentation showcasing impactful moments and success stories from previous Zenith Tech Fairs and Zecathon startups.

9:50 - 10:00 AM
10 mins

Goodwill Message 1

Minister of Digital Economy
Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy

Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy

10:05 - 10:50 AM
45 mins

Keynote Presentation 1: Agentic AI in Finance - Closing the Capability Overhang

Megan Caywood Cooper
Megan Caywood Cooper

Founder and CEO of Caywood

10:55 - 11:40 AM
45 mins

Keynote Presentation 2: The Next RenAIssance

Zack Kass
Zack Kass

Former Head of GTM for OpenAI

11:40 - 12:00 PM
20 mins

Zecathon – Business Pitch Competition

Promising early-stage startups showcase their innovative business models and technological solutions to an expert panel of judges and investors.

12:00 - 12:45 PM
45 mins

Panel Session 1: Agentic AI Evolution – Intelligent, Disruptive and Inclusive

Panel Host: Eleni Giokos (CNN Anchor & Correspondent)
Kashifu Abdullahi
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

DG, NITDA

Chinwe Uzoho
Chinwe Uzoho

Regional MD, West Africa, Network International

Ehia Erhaboh
Ehia Erhaboh, PhD

Co-Founder & President, AI in Nigeria

Tolu Flosbach
Tolu Flosbach

Head, Artificial Intelligence, PwC

Dr. Ikpenmosa Uhumuavbi
Dr. Ikpenmosa Uhumuavbi

Research Centre Lead & Reader in Law, Univ. of Greater Manchester

12:50 - 1:00 PM
10 mins

Goodwill Message 2 – State Government

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Executive Governor of Lagos State

1:05 - 1:15 PM
10 mins

Goodwill Message 3 – Federal Government

His Excellency, Sen. Kashim Shettima
His Excellency, Sen. Kashim Shettima

Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

1:20 - 2:00 PM
40 mins

Panel Session 2: Scale, Secure, Sustain – Engineering Africa's Digital Future

Panel Host: Eleni Giokos (CNN Anchor & Correspondent)
Jane Egerton-Idehen
Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen

MD/CEO, NIGCOMSAT

Dr. Rita I. Sike
Dr. Rita I. Sike

Director, Financial Policy & Regulation Dept

Fashola Shamsideen
Fashola Shamsideen

Founder, Xdigital Services Limited

Abiola Laseinde
Abiola Laseinde

Convener of CIO & C-Suite Awards Africa & CEO, Edniesal

Habibah Waziri
Habibah Waziri

Managing Director, BGR Consulting Ltd

2:05 - 2:25 PM
20 mins

Zecathon – Hackathon Challenge

Live presentations and prototype demonstrations from top tech developers competing in the high-stakes Zecathon Hackathon Challenge.

2:30 - 2:45 PM
15 mins

Presentation 3: Pan-African Payment Infrastructure & Trade Acceleration

Mike Ogbalu III
Mike Ogbalu III

MD/CEO, Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS)

2:50 - 3:00 PM
10 mins

Zecathon – Junior Innovators Challenge

Spotlighting young tech prodigies and student innovators pitching solutions for next-generation digital challenges.

3:05 - 3:20 PM
15 mins

Presentation 4: Next-Gen Agentic & Digital Payment Partnerships

Deniz Oran
Deniz Oran

Head of Payment Partnerships at Google for EMEA

3:25 - 3:35 PM
10 mins

Product Launch (Finopay)

Official unveiling and live interactive demonstration of Zenith Bank’s flagship digital payment innovation platform: Finopay.

3:35 - 3:40 PM
5 mins

Vote of Thanks by Executive Director

Kennedy Okwudili
Kennedy Okwudili

Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc

3:40 - 3:45 PM
5 mins

National Anthem and Main Session Closing

Official closing of the plenary fair stage followed by transition to breakout Masterclass tracks.

3:45 - 4:30 PM
45 mins

Breakout Masterclass Sessions

Simultaneous specialized tech deep-dives delivered by global technology leaders and enterprise partners.

Masterclasses

3:45 PM – 4:30 PM (45 Minutes)
Virtual

AI Governance, Model Risk, Ethics and Accountability

Virtual
Virtual

Cybersecurity in the AI Age

Virtual
Virtual

AI Infrastructure: Building AI at Scale

Virtual
Virtual

The Future Money: Next Payment Moves

Virtual
Virtual

The Future of Financial Services: Fintech Vs Traditional Banking

Virtual
Virtual

Infrastructure and Cloud: Data Residency, Policies and Implication

Virtual