Sim Shagaya; Born 1976, businessman widely regarded as one of the hottest innovators. The way he successfully waded through the many challenges in the business environment has become a study in determination and, industry, and innovation. Shagaya holds the record for establishing one of most successful and thriving start-ups in the country. A Masters Business Administration (MBA) holder from Harvard Business School, Shagaya owned one of Nigeria’s most successful online retail outlets, DealDey.com, a daily deals website, loosely based on the Groupon model that offered products at highly discounted rates. By so doing, Shagaya’s firm provided a good platform for companies to clear their inventories. Its success, three years on confirmed that the suitability of the Nigerian market for online shopping.
Apparently encouraged by the instant success of DealDey.com, Shagaya, the following year, 2012 also threw his hat in another online shopping business ring. This time, it was Konga.com. The firm, which sells everything from books to fridges and mobile phones, also emerged a thriving online platform competing favourably with some of the best in the world. Konga.com’s top selling products were home appliances, electronics, clothing ana apparel[i]. Shagaya later founded an Education Tech company called uLesson.
[i] The NATION, September 10, 2014
