Sim Shagaya

Sim Shagaya is a Nigerian media and technology entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of uLesson Education Limited - an app built to make education available to learners across Africa. He is the founder and former C.E.O of one of West Africa's largest electronic commerce website Konga.com and founder of E-Motion Advertising - a leading out-of-home media company acquired in 2019 by Loadstad Media. In 2014, he was named in Forbes' list of "10 Most Powerful Men in Africa".[2]

Sim Shagaya
Born
Simdul Shagaya[1]

1975
Lagos, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Alma materGeorge Washington University
Dartmouth College
Harvard Business School
Nigeria Military School
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • Entrepreneur
Years active2005–present
Known forThe uLesson Group
Miva Open University
Konga.com
E-Motion Advertising
Notes
Sim Shagaya is a Nigerian businessperson who is recognized as the founder of uLesson Education Limited, E-Motion Outdoor Advertising, Konga.com and DealDey.

In August 2019, Sim Shagaya was invited to and accepted to serve as a member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Executive Governor of his home town, Plateau State, Samuel Lalong.[3]

Early life and education

Sim Shagaya was born in Nigeria where he served in the Nigerian Army after completing the Nigerian Military School.[4] He completed most of his education in the US. He is a graduate of George Washington University and holds a Masters of Engineering degree from Dartmouth College. He also graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2003.[5]

Career

Early career

Prior to the establishment of DealDey and Konga.com, Sim worked as a banker in South Africa under Rand Merchant Bank. He later moved to Nigeria where he became Google's head for Africa and went on to found a Lagos-based billboard advertising business called E-Motion in November 2005. Sim sits on the Economic Advisory Council of Plateau State, Nigeria.[6]

DealDey and Konga.com

Before Sim started DealDey and Konga.com, he created several websites like Alarena, Jobclan, Gbogbo and iNollyWood which were relatively unsuccessful. In March 2011, DealDey was launched after he convinced the board of the billboard company he owned to invest in DealDey. On 3 July 2012, he founded Konga.com with a capital from Swedish investment firm Kinnevik. According to Sim Shagaya, the primary aim of Konga.com is to "aggregate the youngest and fastest-growing market that was dispersed, under-served and that traditional retailers were simply failing to reach".[6]

uLesson Education Limited

He founded the uLesson educational platform in 2020. [7]


Miva Open University

Sim is also the founder and chancellor of Miva Open University which was recently launched and received its operating license in May 2023. [8]

Awards and recognition
YearAward ceremonyAward descriptionResult
2013CNBC/All Africa Business Leaders Award in West AfricaEntrepreneur of the YearWon[9]
2014The Leadership Conference/AwardsLeadership CEO of the YearWon[10]
2014 Forbes The 10 Most Powerful Men In Africa 2014 Listed[11]

References
  1. "THE 10 MOST POWERFUL MEN IN AFRICA 2014". Forbes.
  2. Farai Gundan (31 January 2014). "The 10 Most Powerful Men in Africa 2014". Forbes. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  3. "Former CEO of Konga Sim Shagaya Accepts Position as Economic Advisory Council Member in Plateau State". Technext. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. "Sim Shagaya talks serving in the Nigerian Army, setting up Konga". Pulse Nigeria. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  5. "15 CEOs to watch 2015: Sim Shagaya". 31 January 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  6. Jaco Martiz (27 March 2013). "Meet the Boss: Sim Shagaya, founder, Konga.com & DealDey.com". How we made it in Africa. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  7. "Nigerian edtech startup, uLesson, raises $3.1 million seed funding, to fully launch a pan-African interactive digital education platform". Aderemi Ojokunle. 26 November 2019.
  8. "Miva secures online university licence". Hannatu Asheolge. 16 May 2023.
  9. "Sim Shagaya: Konga.com CEO Wins Entrepreneur Of The Year". Daily Mail (Nigeria). 30 August 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  10. "Sim Shagaya Wins Leadership CEO of the Year award". Naij. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  11. Gundan, Farai. "The 10 Most Powerful Men In Africa 2014". Forbes. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
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