On the Thursday, 14th of March, 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan invited top technology entrepreneurs to a meeting at his residence. Also in attendance were CEOs from various industries including banking, telecoms, broadband, and oil and gas.
The President’s stance has always been to encourage local entrepreneurs, especially within the technology sector. One of such entrepreneurs invited because of the exemplary work his team has done in the online space is Sim Shagaya, the CEO of Konga.com, an online retail store.
Online retail is one of the fast growing economies in Nigeria, with over 200% growth in online sales from 2007 till date. Speaking on his invite to the President’s residence, Shagaya says “…[We] are privileged to be invited to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan. It signifies a recognition of the work that is being done to develop a local internet ecosystem.”
He further went on to add that as a business, “…Konga.com is committed to providing the best possible customer experience through selection, price and delivery. Also, we are excited to be acknowledged as one of the promising businesses in the country. It is largely due to the support of our customers and the trust we have built with them.”
The meeting was held at the State House in Abuja and President Goodluck, while addressing the attendees, stressed that there has never been a greater need for the private sector to work with government to build industries and companies who are laying a foundation for our future.
To round off, there was a state dinner with the President where plans for a new Centenary City in Abuja were unveiled.
