Sim Shagaya
{{short description|Nigerian entrepreneur}}
{{notability|Bio|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Sim Shagaya
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| birth_name = Simdul Shagaya{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjdd45hfi/simdul-shagaya-nigeria-tech-entrepreneur-and-founder-of-konga-com-and-dealdey-com | title=THE 10 MOST POWERFUL MEN IN AFRICA 2014| website=Forbes}}
| birth_date = 1975
| birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria
| nationality = Nigerian
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| education =
| alma_mater = George Washington University
Dartmouth College
Harvard Business School
Nigeria Military School
| occupation = {{flat list |
- Businessman
- Entrepreneur
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| years_active = 2005–present
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| known_for = The uLesson Group
Miva Open University
Konga.com
E-Motion Advertising
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| footnotes = Sim Shagaya is a Nigerian businessperson who is recognized as the founder of uLesson Education Limited, E-Motion Outdoor Advertising, Konga.com and DealDey.
}}
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 and founder and chancellor of Miva Open University.{{Cite web |last=Onuh |first=Chioma |date=2024-04-06 |title=Fall and rise of 48-year-old Sim Shagaya, brain behind Miva Open University, uLesson Group |url=https://businessday.ng/bd-weekender/entrepreneurship/article/fall-and-rise-of-48-year-old-sim-shagaya-brain-behind-miva-open-university-ulesson-group/ |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=Businessday NG |language=en-US}} 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 Loatsad Promomedia. In 2014, he was named in Forbes' list of "10 Most Powerful Men in Africa".{{cite news | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/faraigundan/2014/01/31/the-10-most-powerful-men-in-africa-2014/ | title=The 10 Most Powerful Men in Africa 2014 | work=Forbes | author=Farai Gundan | date=31 January 2014 | access-date=28 July 2015}}
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.{{Cite web|date=2019-08-19|title=Former CEO of Konga Sim Shagaya Accepts Position as Economic Advisory Council Member in Plateau State|url=https://technext.ng/2019/08/19/former-ceo-of-konga-sim-shagaya-accepts-position-as-economic-advisory-council-member-in-plateau-state/|access-date=2020-07-23|website=Technext}}
Early life and education
Sim Shagaya was born in Nigeria where he served in the Nigerian Army after completing the Nigerian Military School.{{cite web | url=http://www.pulse.ng/entrepreneurship/pulse-exclusive-sim-shagaya-talks-serving-in-the-nigerian-army-setting-up-konga-id3553090.html | title=Sim Shagaya talks serving in the Nigerian Army, setting up Konga | publisher=Pulse Nigeria | date=9 March 2015 | access-date=28 July 2015}} 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.{{cite web | url=http://www.africanbusinessmagazine.com/uncategorised/15-ce0s-watch-2015-sim-shagaya/ | title=15 CEOs to watch 2015: Sim Shagaya | date=31 January 2014 | access-date=28 July 2015}}
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.{{cite news | url=http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/meet-the-boss-sim-shagaya-founder-konga-com-dealdey-com/25249/ | title=Meet the Boss: Sim Shagaya, founder, Konga.com & DealDey.com | work=How we made it in Africa | author=Jaco Martiz | date=27 March 2013 | access-date=28 July 2015}}
=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".
= uLesson Education Limited =
He founded the uLesson educational platform in 2020. {{cite news |title=Nigerian edtech startup, uLesson, raises $3.1 million seed funding, to fully launch a pan-African interactive digital education platform|url=https://www.pulse.ng/bi/tech/sim-shagayas-ulesson-raises-dollar31-million-seed-funding-to-grow-a-pan-african/znr5wnf |publisher=Aderemi Ojokunle |date=26 November 2019}}
= 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. {{cite news |title=Miva secures online university licence |url=https://techcabal.com/2023/05/16/miva-secures-online-university-license/ |publisher=Hannatu Asheolge |date=May 16, 2023}}
Awards and recognition
{{Incomplete list|date=July 2015}}
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year | Award ceremony | Award description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | CNBC/All Africa Business Leaders Award in West Africa | Entrepreneur of the Year | {{won}}{{cite news | url=http://www.dailymail.com.ng/sim-shagaya-konga-com-ceo-wins-entrepreneur-of-the-year/ | title=Sim Shagaya: Konga.com CEO Wins Entrepreneur Of The Year | work=Daily Mail (Nigeria)| date=30 August 2013 | accessdate=29 July 2015}} |
| 2014 | The Leadership Conference/Awards | Leadership CEO of the Year | {{won}}{{cite news | url=http://www.naij.com/306827-sim-shagaya-wins-leadership-ceo-of-the-year-award.html |title=Sim Shagaya Wins Leadership CEO of the Year award |work=Naij | date=30 August 2013 | access-date=29 July 2015}} |
| 2014
|Forbes |The 10 Most Powerful Men In Africa 2014 |
References
{{portal|Biography}}
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Category:20th-century Nigerian businesspeople
Category:21st-century Nigerian businesspeople
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:George Washington University alumni
Category:Dartmouth College alumni