It was a weekend of excitement, filled with a huge dose of useful business success tips and powerful insights from a carefully selected cast of resource persons and spiced with loads of fun and surprises as Konga, Nigeria’s leading e-commerce giant hosted 12 lucky shoppers to an all-expense paid weekend with the Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh.

Spanning from Friday, February 10 through Sunday, February 12, 2023, the 12 participants had been exposed to a series of mind-blowing and exciting initiatives which commenced from their arrival and reception at the grand Lagos Continental Hotel and culminated in a lunch date with Ekeh at his residence in the heart of Ikoyi, Lagos on the final day.

Tagged Knowledge Weekend, the 12 selected participants had been rewarded with the exclusive mentorship programme with Ekeh, a Forbes Best of Africa Leading Tech Icon, after emerging from a random pool of shoppers drawn from the recently concluded Konga Jara promotion. Among the list of 12 lucky shoppers that graced the exclusive weekend event are Mrs. Molayo Jebutu, Mr. Joshua Emmanuel, Mr. Olanrewaju Ogunkunle, Mr. Henry Idugala, Mr. Adeyemi Oyewale, Mrs. Stella Ezeonwuka, Mrs Sonia Omatedjor, Mr. Chris Godwin, Mr. Soliu Saad, Mrs. Amaka Michael, Mr. Olatomide Idowu and Mrs. Maureen Okeke.

Following their arrival to a VIP treatment at the five-star Lagos Continental Hotel on Friday evening, the management of Konga had proceeded to surprise the guests with a welcome package delivered to their respective rooms, setting the tone for what turned out to be a weekend of delightful surprises and treats for the beneficiaries. A sumptuous buffet dinner soon followed suit, bringing a fitting end to proceedings for the day.

Saturday, February 11, 2023 opened with an intense aerobics session involving the guests in the hotel gym. This was supervised by a certified fitness instructor who put the participants through their paces. From there, the lucky shoppers were hosted to a smart breakfast in the hotel before being conveyed in a custom-fitted limousine bus to the imposing Yudala Heights on Idowu Martins Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the day’s activities. From here on, it was a roller-coaster ride of extensive learnings as a rich faculty of resource persons took turns to deliver masterclasses for the benefit of the guests.

The highly interactive masterclasses cut across personal financial planning delivered by Okezie Akaniro, Senior Vice President, Konga Group and a finishing school expertly imparted by Managing Director, Task Systems Ltd., Mrs. Gozy Ijogun.

Also exciting the guests was a thought-provoking session on the link between discipline and goals/results presented by Dr. Anthony Oguike. A Mechanical Engineer by profession but an entrepreneur, innovator and a philanthropist at heart, Dr. Oguike is the the Founder and current Group Managing Director, The Future Concerns Group, a group of productive and well-respected companies specializing in corporate HSE and Oilfield Engineering Services within the Oil, Gas and Allied Industry.

Also featuring was Chief Operating Officer (COO), Konga Group, Dave Omoriege, who took the guests through the remarkable story of Konga’s rise to dominance in the Nigerian e-commerce space.

The high point of Saturday’s learnings was a much-awaited session with Ekeh, the Zinox Chairman, who exposed guests to the New Mega Wealth, a major topic of interest for the participants. Ekeh’s engagement with the guests formed the theme of further expositions on Sunday at his residence where the selected participants received additional insights on new/potential business ideas and success tips for navigating the pitfalls-ridden landscape of the contemporary business space.

Meanwhile, Saturday night heralded another surprise for the lucky Konga shoppers as they were treated to a VIP night-out at a high-brow lounge in Victoria Island. It was a time for the guests to make merry and unwind to premium entertainment, marked by choice wine and food in an atmosphere of utmost conviviality, fun and leisure.

With Sunday morning came breakfast in the hotel and a trip to Ekeh’s residence where a prayer session opened up the day’s proceedings. Thereafter, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Konga Group, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh anchored a lively feedback session with the guests.

Afterwards, the concluding part of the direct engagement with the Zinox Chairman took centre stage, culminating in a special lunch date which featured meals recommended by a dietician. Before departure, the 12 lucky shoppers were treated to another surprise, with each of them receiving a high-specs tablet courtesy of Ekeh.

Expressing their gratitude to the management of Konga for the weekend treat, the guests took turns to heap praises on the e-commerce brand, while also hailing the Zinox Chairman for sparing time from his schedule to personally mentor them.

‘‘I am so excited. It’s been a very beautiful and amazing experience and I am grateful to Konga for the opportunity. By and large, my experience from this event cannot be quantified,’’ said Mr. Ogunkunle, one of the participants.

Another participant, Mr. Henry Idugala was effusive in citing the engagements with Ekeh as a major highlight. ‘‘We got to hear from one of the great captains of industry first-hand on his own personal values, principles and even some advice that we can take to ensure that we live the best life,’’ he disclosed.

Also speaking was Mrs. Ezeonwuka. ‘‘I consider it a privilege to be honoured by Konga with this all-expense paid weekend. Wonderful! It was extremely wonderful. I had value added and I am so happy. I look forward to this again and again.’’

The winners were selected randomly from shoppers who participated in the recently concluded edition of the Konga Jara promotion which ran from Tuesday December 13, 2022 till Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The mentorship programme, an initiative of Konga Kares, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Konga Group, is part of efforts to empower budding entrepreneurs with the right business success tips and strategies to create new wealth in the 21st Century.