Sim Shagaya

Sim Shagaya is a technology entrepreneur whose career spans digital advertising, e-commerce, and education technology in Africa. Shagaya has contributed to the expansion of digital services across the continent, building and scaling businesses in sectors such as online retail and edtech. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University, a Master of Science in engineering management from Dartmouth College, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Shagaya began his career in investment banking at Rand Merchant Bank in South Africa, followed by a role as Google's head of West Africa operations, where he led digital expansion initiatives in the region.

Shagaya's entrepreneurial ventures began with early digital startups before he entered the advertising industry. He founded E-Motion Outdoor Advertising, which became a prominent out-of-home advertising company in Nigeria. He later launched DealDey, Nigeria's first group-buying site, and subsequently founded Konga.com, establishing it as a major e-commerce platform in West Africa. Konga played a significant role in pioneering online retail in Nigeria and attracted international investment. Shagaya has received recognition from Forbes and earned the CNBC All Africa Business Leaders Award for Entrepreneur of the Year (West Africa) and the Leadership CEO of the Year Award.

After his tenure at Konga, Shagaya focused on education technology by founding uLesson Education, where he serves as group CEO. uLesson developed a mobile app integrating video lessons, quizzes, and analytics to improve K-12 learning accessibility across Africa. The platform utilizes mobile technology, SD cards, a culture-specific curriculum, and a network of tutors to address educational gaps for secondary school students in Nigeria and beyond. uLesson has scaled to serve over 1 million users across West Africa and is recognized as an innovative edtech firm.

Expanding his work in education, Shagaya established Miva Open University, Nigeria's first private open and distance learning institution licensed for online delivery. As chancellor, he positioned Miva to address limited university access and geographic barriers, offering fully online undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for working professionals and remote learners. Miva leverages digital infrastructure and a curriculum developed by a large faculty to deliver interactive learning modules.

In addition to his ventures, Shagaya launched The Honey Badger Fund, a venture capital initiative supporting early-stage, technology-enabled startups across Africa. He regularly participates in public engagements, sharing insights on resilience, business innovation, and the integration of education and technology. Through his work, Shagaya has become a prominent figure in Africa's technology and education sectors.