The family said their position is also supported by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police’s office that has vowed to investigate the sudden death of Nick.

In a statement endorsed by Dr. Anthony Imudia, the Imudia Family also clarified that “Neither did Nick call his brother in America with instructions on how to distribute his wealth, nor placed a call to his daughter with any instructions.

“How come the news was reported so hastilly (less than 3 hours from his death) before his family members even knew about it – and the medical team was still trying to resuscitate him at the hospital! The Imudia family wonders!!!”.

Nick Imudia, until his death was the Group CEO of D.light International with Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was residing.

The statement continues: “He managed the company’s worldwide operations from Nairobi. Nick was full of life and people that worked closely with him or met him in the last hours prior to the incident surrounding his death were shocked with the media attributing his death to ‘suicide’.

“He was on a short visit to Lagos after a brief trip to the Netherlands and was to return to Nairobi a day after his sudden death.

“He comes from a close-knit family where support abounds and Nick never showed any sign of stress and he was not diagnosed as depressed at any point. The thought of suicide in the manner portrayed and hastilly reported by the news media is suspect.

Nick made his initial career mark with Nokia, the Finnish based Telecommunication Company before he was transferred from Helsinki to manage Nokia Asia operations in Singapore.

Later in his career with Nokia, he was appointed as the Managing Director of Nokia – West and Central Africa. When Microsoft bought Nokia, he opted to leave the company.

Looking for a new challenge, he became the CEO of Konga Nigeria where he reengineered the company’s operation.

At his prime age and the level of his achievements, people who knew Nick well are all shocked and do not accept the characterization of his death as suicide.

“Members of Nick’s family do request the media and the general public to allow them to grief their loved one without any unfounded rumour of the circumstances surrounding his death”, the statement reads.

While the specific reasons behind his decision to take his life are still largely unknown, several factors might provide some context.

Nick Imudia seemed to have been doing great at d.light, a company focused on providing off-grid solar solutions to underserved communities, primarily in Africa and India. This role came with huge responsibilities and pressures. 

However, as Kingston asked on X: “Depression doesn’t have a distinct look actually. And this is really sad. What can be done to make men more expressive? How can we fix this menace to make people more happy and safe to ask for help in our society. #RIPNickImudia #NickImudia Nick Imudia”

Leading a company in a sector that deals with basic human needs like energy access, especially under challenging economic conditions, can be greatly stressful. 

Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of Acumen, tweeted via her verified X account about a recent discussion with Nick. That tweet was on June 14th, about two weeks before Nick took his own life.

It reads:

“How does a company serving low-income people work when fighting powerful headwinds like 70% currency devaluation and high inflation? To Nick Imudia, CEO of d.light and a teacher of mine, it’s about creating real impact. Change is hard. And change is possible”.

Despite these challenges, Nick noted a strong drive to creating a real impact and driving change.

“The reason for the success is because of the belief we have from the shareholders that continuously back d.light. The success comes from the fact that we are actually making an impact, we are doing something good and everybody in the ecosystem is actually trying to help drive that mission.”

Imudia mentioned that while demand for d.light’s products was high, supply often caused a problem. The company was striving to meet the energy needs of approximately 600 million people without access to clean energy, a task that requires not just innovation but also huge financial and logistical support. 

“We are running a business where demand is not a problem, supply is usually a problem, with 600 million people lacking access to clean energy,” Imudia said.

Managing such a broad mission can be overwhelming, especially when faced with the expectation to continuously perform and deliver under adverse conditions.

Imudia was deeply committed to enhancing the lives of a billion people by 2030 through sustainable products. This goal, while noble, also placed great personal pressure on him. 

Before this fateful act, he reportedly called his US-based brother, instructing him on how to distribute his wealth in case anything happened to him. 

He also reached out to his young daughter from a previous relationship, assuring her that he would always be there for her, even after his passing. His friends, family, and associates were left in shock, wondering why he would commit suicide.

Leading a company with such a far-reaching impact involves both operational challenges and the emotional burden of ensuring that the mission is achieved without compromising on quality or reach.

In his conversation with Novogratz, Imudia emphasized the importance of the belief and support from shareholders and the broader ecosystem in driving d.light’s mission. 

However, even with this support, the responsibility of leading the company through unstable times likely weighed heavily on him. Balancing expectations from stakeholders, ensuring financial stability, and making strategic decisions is a big one, especially in a high-stakes environment.

Mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of their professional success. The pressure of leadership roles, financial stress, and personal issues can take a toll on an individual’s well-being, which is likely the case of Imudia

Sometimes, even high achievers battle inner demons silently. Burnout, financial pressures, isolation, personal loss, imposter syndrome, relationship strain, health issues, lack of coping mechanisms, and societal stigma all contribute to the complexities faced by leaders in the business industry.

Before stepping down as the CEO of Konga in 2022, Nick Imudia bolstered the e-commerce company from near collapse to profitability within just four years. 

Alongside as a Co-CEO, he led strategic initiatives, including Konga Logistics, Konga offline retail chain, KongaPay, Konga Travel, Konga Health, and Konga Food. Their works revitalized Konga into a trusted and profitable e-commerce brand.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police have announced they will investigate the circumstances surrounding Nick Imudia’s death.

Adegoke Fayoade, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, disclosed this on the sideline of the 2024 Chartered Pension Institute of Nigeria (CPIN) Investiture/Induction Ceremony of New Fellows and Associates in Lagos.

He said the Police would want to ascertain what led to his death.

According to reports, Imudia, until his death, led D.light, a leading innovator in the distribution and financing of residential solar energy solutions and transformational household products.

Reports indicate he killed himself on the night of Tuesday, June 25, by jumping from the balcony of his Lekki, Lagos apartment.

The report said: “Before making the jump, he had called his US-based brother to give him instructions on how to distribute his wealth should anything happen to him.

“He also called his young daughter from a previous relationship and told her he would always be there for her and that all she needed to do was to look in the sky and he would see her.

“His friends, family and associates are in shock as to why he would commit suicide.”

No one is sure why he took his own life.

“From the Ika South local government area of Delta State, Nick was previously married to the mother of his young daughter who was also from the same local government with him. The marriage ended due to irreconcilable differences.”

Before Konga, Nick Imudia had stints with Konga, TCL/Alcatel as a regional director and Microsoft Device and Services as the GM/MD for West and Central Africa.

Facilitated by Chapel Hill Denham’s Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund (NIDF), this new financing mechanism will strengthen the expansion of d.light’s low-cost Pay-Go solar products tailored for low-income households across the country.

The financing structure, led and sponsored by African Frontier Capital, operates with the dual mandate of enhancing accessibility to affordable clean energy solutions while ensuring the sustainability and scalability of d.light’s business model.

Nick Imudia, CEO of d.light, celebrated the financing as an epic moment in the company’s mission to boost solar energy access in Nigeria. Imudia emphasized the impact of the financing, noting its potential to empower low-income families while driving sustainable business growth.

“d.light has a track record of success in using securitized finance in other Sub-Saharan African countries as a flexible, scalable financing model for raising equity for off-grid solar that is guaranteed against current and future customer sales.

We are now applying this experience in Nigeria as we scale up our operations there. In Chapel Hill Denham, we have a partner that is not only commercially astute but also equally dedicated to sustainable development,” stated Imudia.

Bolaji Balogun, CEO of Chapel Hill Denham, reiterated Imudia’s statement, highlighting the transaction’s importance in advancing sustainable infrastructure investments in Nigeria.

Balogun pointed to the unique nature of the securitized financing, stressing its role in enabling innovation and resilience within the renewable energy sector.

“The collaboration between d.light and Chapel Hill Denham underscores our shared commitment to sustainable development and community empowerment. By spearheading local currency securitization for solar home systems, we are propelling Nigeria towards a greener, more inclusive energy landscape,” commented Balogun.

Anshul Rai, Partner at Chapel Hill Denham emphasized the achievements through the NIDF’s pioneering financing model, emphasizing its potential to address Nigeria’s energy access challenges while mitigating environmental impact.

The urgency of the initiative is brought out by last year’s Energy Progress Report, which highlighted Nigeria’s unstable energy deficit, with approximately 86 million people lacking access to electricity.

The report noted the imperative of transitioning away from fossil fuel-dependent energy sources towards sustainable alternatives.

Through strategic partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms, d.light and Chapel Hill Denham will combine cutting-edge technology with financial ingenuity.

The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between energy demand and accessibility, bringing a more sustainable future for all Nigerians.

Imudia, a highly respected international expert alongside Prince Ekeh, a serial digital entrepreneur and founder of Yudala.com, the first composite e-commerce platform in Africa, are responsible for what industry watchers have described as a tech miracle. 

They turned Konga around from an almost dead company into profitability within four years and launched other strategic verticals like Konga Logistics – a digital logistics company, Konga offline retail chain, KongaPay, a CBN-licensed fintech company, Konga Travel, Konga Health and Konga Food, among others.

Mr. Imudia joined the firm in 2018 with the acquisition of the e-commerce giant from previous majority owners, South African-headquartered Naspers and Swedish-based AB Kinnevik. 

The cerebral Imudia is understood to have played a significant role in the transformation of Konga into arguably Nigeria’s most trusted e-commerce brand and the first in Africa to achieve profitability, despite being on the verge of exiting the market at the time of acquisition.

Before joining the e-commerce platform as strategic partner and Co-CEO, he was the Regional Director of TCL/Alcatel for two years. Imudia was also the Managing Director of Nokia West where he served in various capacities for over 17 years.

A man with a global presence, he has lived in USA, Finland and Singapore where he was celebrated for his expertise in capability development, operational excellence, systems analysis and process management, among others.

Prince Ekeh is now expected to lead Konga with new restructured Executive Management team of tested first class professionals into the next phase of its expansion.

The commerce giant is expected to make in-roads into other African markets after achieving a measure of industry relevance, acceptance and market leadership in Nigeria.

An Economics graduate and fintech guru, Prince Ekeh has acquired huge experience belying his age. His business management skills and keen understanding of retail have equally contributed to driving Konga to the zenith of the e-Commerce sector in Nigeria. 

A multiple award winner, Prince Ekeh pioneered the first composite e-commerce company in Africa and launched the first drone delivery in the e-commerce world, as well as the first Online/Offline technology-driven edition of the globally renowned Black Friday edition in Africa.

Konga has earned corporate respect as an innovative and ethical e-commerce group widely trusted by millions of Nigerians.