Nigerian Tech Pioneer Builds E-Commerce Giant, Free University

A Nigerian entrepreneur who changed how millions of people shop online is now tackling one of Africa's biggest challenges: making quality education accessible to everyone.

Sim Shagaya grew up in a military family in Lagos, attending Nigerian Military School in Zaria where he learned discipline and leadership. After briefly serving in the Nigerian Army, he headed to the United States, earning degrees in electrical engineering, engineering management, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

His career took him to Google, where he served as Head of Operations for Africa and witnessed firsthand how technology could transform emerging markets. But Shagaya wanted to build something bigger for his home continent.

In 2012, he founded Konga when most Nigerians had never shopped online. The idea seemed risky in a country where people didn't trust digital payments and logistics networks barely existed. But Shagaya saw an opportunity to connect consumers with businesses through technology.

Konga grew into one of Africa's largest e-commerce platforms, creating thousands of jobs and helping small businesses reach customers they never could before. The platform attracted major international investment and became a training ground for digital adoption across Nigeria.

After proving technology could revolutionize commerce, Shagaya turned to education in 2019. He launched uLesson, an educational technology platform offering affordable, high-quality video lessons aligned with African curricula. Millions of students now use the app to learn at their own pace.

Then came his most ambitious project yet: Miva Open University, Nigeria's first licensed private open university. As Founder and Chancellor, Shagaya is using technology to make higher education flexible, affordable, and accessible to students who might never attend traditional universities.

The Ripple Effect

Shagaya's impact extends far beyond his own companies. Through The Honey Badger Fund, he invests in and mentors emerging African entrepreneurs, helping build the continent's next generation of innovators. His work has shown that African entrepreneurs can build world-class technology companies that solve local problems while creating thousands of opportunities.

His contributions earned him the CNBC All Africa Business Leaders Award for Entrepreneur of the Year and recognition as one of the continent's most influential voices in technology and innovation.

From teaching Nigerians to trust online shopping to opening university doors for students across Africa, Shagaya has spent two decades proving that technology can create lasting solutions to society's toughest challenges.