Zenith Bank’s technology fair awarded ₦190 million across 13 winners in three contests, according to reports published on 6 November 2026 by Business Post Nigeria and NUJ Nigeria. The sixth edition of the fair took place virtually on 5 November. Its prize structure recognised early-stage businesses, hackathon teams and secondary school projects in separate tracks.

Business Post Nigeria reported that Cutstruct Technology received ₦35 million for winning the startup pitch contest, while Team Solo received ₦35 million as the hackathon winner. Caleb British International School led the school contest and received ₦5 million. The official programme confirms the date’s focus on startup pitching and sessions on artificial intelligence, financial services and technology infrastructure. The prize details come from the post-event reports.

A construction business in a technology contest

Cutstruct’s winning entry was LiveVend, which Business Post Nigeria describes as a construction procurement platform linking contractors and developers with suppliers. Cutstruct’s own product materials describe tools for managing material purchases from quotation to delivery and for giving project financiers visibility into spending. Those materials describe what the business offers. The competition result establishes recognition from the fair, while customer experience would be a separate measure of the product’s performance.

Construction makes a useful test of what a digital service can change. A purchase starts with a specification and a price, then has to turn into delivery of the right material at the right time. If a project uses several suppliers, the buyer needs to reconcile orders and deliveries with the work that has actually been completed. A tool can be useful when it makes that sequence easier to track and gives the people involved a shared record when something goes wrong.

The startup category also recognised Sproutly and PharmaRun, which placed second and third respectively, according to Business Post Nigeria. Their presence alongside a construction company illustrates the breadth of businesses competing for attention at the same event. The follow-up questions differ across sectors because each product deals with a different set of customers, suppliers and operating requirements.

Different prizes, different next steps

Business Post Nigeria reported that the school winner’s project, ReLearn, focuses on getting used textbooks to students in underserved communities. That problem calls for a different measure of progress from a commercial procurement platform. A school team could show where donated books came from, how they matched the needs of recipients and whether the process continued after the competition. A procurement business could track delivery performance, repeat orders and how quickly it resolves mismatches.

The hackathon track adds a third context. A team demonstrating a solution under competition conditions has shown what it can present within that setting. Further testing can reveal how the same solution behaves when users supply incomplete information or work with different equipment. Awards can give teams room to run those tests and discover which parts of a prototype need further work.

Business Post Nigeria also reported plans for six weeks of mentorship and incubation for winners. That is a planned follow-up to the prizes. The kinds of questions that could be answered during that period include whether participants can find suitable test users, identify which tasks their products handle well and decide what evidence would justify further investment.

The fair’s broader AI theme sits alongside those practical questions. Its programme included sessions on model risk, cybersecurity and infrastructure. A company considering a tool for procurement or payments will still need to understand who checks its output, who can correct a mistake and which parts of a transaction require a reliable human handover.

RIM’s reporting on Likita Care’s engineering prize examined what happens after a competition recognises a product. Zenith’s three tracks invite a similar follow-up. The cash awards and placing are the immediate developments. Evidence of progress will come from what each team can build, test or deliver for the people it intends to serve.

*Illustration — AI-generated conceptual artwork about technology competitions.*

Why this matters

The prize structure gives visibility to teams working at different stages, from students with a textbook project to a business serving construction buyers. For Nigerian entrepreneurs and diaspora collaborators, the strongest follow-up evidence will be specific to the work, such as repeat customers, verified deliveries or documented access to books. Those measures help put competition awards and mentorship in context.

Sources

Topics: Nigeria · Zenith Tech Fair · Cutstruct · Startups · Education technology

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