Plateau State Welcomes Konga Founder Sim Shagaya As Economic Advisory Council Member

Konga ex-boss Sim Shagaya, an innovator that’s very popular in the Nigerian e-commerce space, has been invited to serve as a member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Executive Governor of Plateau State. Shagaya who has accepted the role announced the development on Twitter a few days ago, citing this is a part of the country he cares about. 

I’m please to share that I’ve been invited and accepted to serve as a member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Executive Governor of Plateau State. This is a part of Nigeria that I care deeply about and I hope I can be of significant service.

— Sim Shagaya (@SimShagaya) August 16, 2019

Sim Shagaya is known for many things. Apart from being a personality in the tech space of the country, he is ex-military personnel and a Harvard Business School MBA holder.

With more than 10 years of experience in new media and investment banking, the entrepreneur has also worked with Google, Lucent Technologies, and Rand Merchant Bank in South Africa. He launched e-Motion Advertising, an integrated marketing communications agency, back in 2005.

Apart from Konga, Shagaya is also known for creating Dealdey, which he founded in March 2011 and grew to become one of Nigeria’s leading daily deals sites. However, the company has shut down alongside likes such as Efritin and OLX Nigeria.

Other startups handled by the businessman include Alarena, iNollywood, Gbogbo, and Jobclan, all of which went under within the first few years of launching. 

After he resigned as CEO of Konga in January 2016, many questions were raised as to what he would do next. Founding and running one of the country’s most valued e-commerce ventures, he oversaw multiple funding rounds worth USD 127 Mn in total.

While it was speculated that he was headed for agriculture, a tweet of his March this year suggested he had entered into the country’s edtech space. Called uLesson, the company looks to make learning more individual-oriented to help students study better. 

Considering a wealth of experience in business and technology on Shagaya’s side, he is arguably a valuable addition to the Economic Advisory Council in the northern Nigerian state.

From fans and makeshift students alike, reactions to his appointment to the council have been filled with excitement (follow Twitter thread for comments). At some points in time, Shagaya had shared insights on politics and effective governance – perhaps another reason he’s a good fit. However, he says he will stop commenting in this regard and channel his energy into his new job.

I’m going to stop commenting on matters of politics and governance and focus on private work. But only because of and after I make this final comment: Every problem of this country is tied to one simple fact: The constitution and corporate structure of Nigeria are deeply flawed.

— Sim Shagaya (@SimShagaya) July 24, 2019

As a member of the council, he will put heads together with his colleagues to foster a favorable and rewarding economic environment in Plateau State. One thing we are both hopeful of is that the business space in the country is about to take a significant leap.