Former CEO of Konga Sim Shagaya Accepts Position as Economic Advisory Council Member in Plateau State

In a tweet on August 16, former CEO of Konga, Simdul Shagaya, announced that he had accepted to serve as a member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong.

Shagaya has been a fixture in the Nigerian tech space for years. With a military background and an MBA from Harvard Business School, he has worked on a number of high profile business ventures. Earlier endeavours – startup websites such Alarena, Jobclan, Gbogbo and iNollyWood – went under within the first few years. He, however, went on to found DealDey in 2011 and Konga in 2012.

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

A suave businessman with a rich pool of business experience, Shagaya is a valuable addition to the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) in Plateau state. Reactions to his appointment have mostly been ecstatic. Online, Nigerians have expressed their hopes in his capabilities.

Anything Sim touches becomes a success story! Congratulations people on the PLEATEAU!

— Tunde Hassan (@arolekoko) August 16, 2019

Congratulations @SimShagaya !!!
Knowing who you're , the future looks bright.
Go make us proud sir.

— WeJosRock ™ (@WeJosRock) August 16, 2019

Congratulations sir. Trust you will bring your wealth of experience to bear and hopefully bring some positive changes to our state.

— Tgabs (@TGabkwet) August 16, 2019

Congratulations sir, please while serving in this capacity. Could you please mobilize other state economics council to push for reform in our tax laws, that would enable state retain cooperate taxes & VAT generated in the state. This move we lead to more investment in d states.

— #Practical Economist 💳💰💰 (@kashflyy_R) August 16, 2019

As a member of the Economic Advisory Council, Shagaya and his colleagues are saddled with the responsibility of advancing the economic development and business environment of the state. The need for an EAC was aptly expressed by the then Secretary to the Lagos State Governor in 2017, Mr Tunji Bello, when the state formed its own Economic Advisory Committee.

The Economic team is saddled with the responsibility of specifically advising on the overall finance strategy to bridge the massive infrastructure gap in the state.
It is also to analyse any issue, economic or otherwise, referred to it by the governor and to act as champions for certain initiatives.

Mr Tunji Bello

Simdul Shagaya has been known to air his views on politics and effective governance from time to time. He is a firm believer in decentralisation and grassroots empowerment.

The state is projected. The Federal Government must be made much less powerful. And the ethnic nationalities as their proxies – be they states, zones or regions – more powerful.

Sim Shagaya

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 EAC, Sim Shagaya now has one more platform to effect the desired change in the economic development of the country albeit from the state of Plateau.