Nj Ayuk
Nj Ayuk in 2022
Born (1980-02-11) February 11, 1980
Mamfe, Cameroon
Alma materUniversity of Maryland College Park (BS)
William Mitchell College of Law (JD)
New York Institute of Technology (MBA)
Occupation(s)Attorney, Author, Entrepreneur
Websitehttps://njayuk.com/

Nj Ayuk (born 11 February 1980) is a Cameroonian attorney, author, and businessman.[1][2][3]

Ayuk is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Centurion Law Group, a Pan-African law firm that operates in the energy, financial, and extractive sectors. He is also the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber.[4][5][6] He has previously been convicted of fraud.[7]

Early life and education

Ayuk was born in Cameroon.[8] He studied at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was mentored by Ron Walters, and earned a juris doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in the United States. He holds a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from the New York Institute of Technology.[9][10][11]

Career

Ayuk started his career at Baker Botts and then moved to the United Nations Development Programme.[12] He also worked at Vanco Energy, eventually founding Centurion Law Group.[12]

In 2007, he founded Centurion Law Group, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.[13] The same year, he pleaded guilty today to "illegally using the stationery and signature stamp of a U.S. Congressman in a series of attempts to obtain visas to the United States for people from his native country of Cameroon," and was subsequently deported from the United States.[7]

In 2015, independent investigative website Diario Rombe reported allegations that Ayuk was involved in the money laundering of $2.5 million in Ghana and transferring $1m to Ayuk's home country of Equatorial Guinea. Ayuk reportedly arrived at GT Bank there with two bags containing $2.5m in cash to deposit in a Centurion bank account.[14][15]

In 2018, he launched CenturionPlus, an on-demand service for African lawyers and advisors to scale legal teams according to corporate and project requirements.[16] Since 2018, Ayuk has been the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber.[16]

In 2019, Centurion Law Group launched Centurion International AG.[17] It was the first Africa-focused services firm to have its shares listed on a German Stock Exchange.[18]

In 2022, the South African High Court ruled that Ayuk issued defamatory remarks towards the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and journalist Delfin Mocache Massoko with the intent to cause harm.[19]

In 2023, the Mail & Guardian reported that bogus copyright complaints had been made under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to attempt to remove unflattering material relating to Ayuk and a politician with whom he was associated. The complaints included the reporting of the Mail & Guardian about Ayuk's 2007 convictions.[20][21]

Energy stance

After working for the United Nations Development Programme in Darfur, Sudan, Ayuk concluded that the war was rooted in a struggle for natural resources and the wealth associated with them. He soon after shifted his career to focus on Africa's energy resources.[22]

His second book Billions at Play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals has been described as a roadmap for how the continent could better diversify its oil and gas to improve people’s lives and grow African economies.[23]

In A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix, he discusses how Africans should be able to continue benefiting from their natural resources, even as much of the world pushes the continent to leave its fossil fuels in support of global net-zero emissions objectives.[24] He argues that the entire continent produces only 3.8% of the world’s emissions, and, even if the continent tripled its natural gas-powered electricity consumption, the additional carbon dioxide would be the equivalent of only 1% of global emissions.[25] He has stated: “A continent that emits a negligible amount of carbon dioxide is being disproportionately pegged as a threat to the planet by developed nations."[26]

Recognition

In 2015, he was listed in Forbes' Top 10 Most Influential Men in Africa.[16] In 2023, Ayuk was included in a list of 100 most reputable Africans who contributed to business and authorship.[27][28]

Bibliography

Books

  • Nj, Ayuk (2021). Billions at play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals, USA: Made for Success Publishing, ISBN 978-1913136345.
  • Nj, Ayuk (2017). Big Barrels: African Oil and Gas and the Quest for Prosperity, USA: Clink Street Publishing, ISBN 978-1911525592.
  • Nj, Ayuk (2023) A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix, Made for Success, ISBN 978-1641467506

Articles

  • Ayuk, Nj. (25 May 2021). "Net Zero? Not For Africa. Not Yet. Africa Must Fight Energy Poverty with Oil and Gas Development".[29]
  • Ayuk, Nj. "Energy Industry will be the bedrock of Africa’s Road to Recovery".[30]
  • Ayuk, Nj. (28 December 2020). "A Few Thoughts for this Generation of Africans in 2021: Be Bold and Cut Out Entitlement, No One Owes Us Anything".[31]
  • Ayuk, Nj (3 January 2020). "What will it take for 2020 to truly be the year of Gas in Nigeria?".[32]

References

  1. ↑ Oboh, Agbokshe (2 November 2019). "Intra-African energy dialogue has remained low — N. J. Ayuk". Vanguard News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  2. ↑ Ayuk, N. J. (7 March 2021). "N.J. Ayuk, President, African Energy Chamber, Author Billions at Play | OILWOMAN Magazine". Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "Nj Ayuk, Centurion Law Group Pty LTD: Profile and Biography". www.bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "NJ Ayuk". whoswholegal. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  5. ↑ "NJ Ayuk JD, MBA". Advisory Excellence. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Netabai, Leah (19 May 2020). "Nj Ayuk named one of the most influential Africans | Leadership & Strategy". Business Chief EMEA. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Former Payne intern pleads guilty to illegally using congressman's stationery and signature stamp". www.politico.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "N. J. Ayuk Archives". Vanguard News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  9. ↑ "Meet the Boss: NJ Ayuk, managing partner, Centurion Law Group". How We Made It In Africa. 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  10. ↑ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "Meet NJ Ayuk, The 38-Year-Old Attorney Who Runs One Of Africa's Most Successful Law Conglomerates". Forbes. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "NJ Ayuk, Managing Partner, Centurion LLP". ecafrica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Meet NJ Ayuk, The 38-Year-Old Attorney Who Runs One Of Africa's Most Successful Law Conglomerates". Forbes. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Centurion Law Group Overview". Pitchbook.
  14. ↑ Farand, Chloé (9 November 2022). "UN gives platform to convicted fraudster lobbying for African gas". Climate Home News.
  15. ↑ Rombe, Diario (26 November 2015). "Detenida en Ghana Geneviève Ocansey abogada de Mbega Obiang Lima por blanquear $ 2.5 millones". Diario Rombe - Información de calidad sobre Guinea Ecuatorial.
  16. 1 2 3 "NJ Ayuk: Humble US Trained Dealmaker, Who Is on a Mission to Empower African Legal and Energy Industry and Fight for the Indigenous People's Welfare". CEO World. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "Centurion Law Group announces intention to pursue Public Listing". Top Africa News.
  18. ↑ "First African company listed on German stock exchange". African Courier. 4 February 2022.
  19. ↑ "South African Court Rules NJ Ayuk Defamed Journalist & OCCRP". www.occrp.org.
  20. ↑ "Bogus copyright complaints seek to remove negative reports on minister and lawyer". Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists". 2 March 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  22. ↑ "NJ Ayuk: Billions at Play". ESPN. 5 October 2019.
  23. ↑ Nsehe, Mfonobong (7 October 2019). "'Billions At Play' Is A Comprehensive But Entertaining Look At Africa's Oil & Gas Present And Future". Forbes.
  24. ↑ Flanakin, Duggan (19 March 2023). "Ayuk's a just transition: Blueprint for an African century". CFACT.
  25. ↑ "CDP AFRICA REPORT" (PDF). CDP. March 2020.
  26. ↑ Ghilotti, David (5 November 2022). "COP27 should not bar Africa from fossil fuels exploitation, says regional lobby group". Upstream.
  27. ↑ AfricaNews (3 January 2023). "'100 Most Reputable Africans' in 2023 announced". Africanews. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  28. ↑ GROUP, APO (11 January 2023). "NJ Ayuk Listed among 100 Most Reputable Africans in 2023 (By Boris Esono Nwenfor & Sonita Ngunyi Nwohtazie)". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  29. ↑ Ayuk, Nj (25 May 2021). "Net Zero? Not For Africa. Not Yet. Africa Must Fight Energy Poverty with Oil and Gas Development (By NJ Ayuk)". CNBC Africa. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  30. ↑ "Energy Industry will be the bedrock of Africa's Road to Recovery (By NJ Ayuk)". BI Africa. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  31. ↑ Group, Apo (28 December 2020). "A Few Thoughts for this Generation of Africans in 2021: Be Bold and Cut Out Entitlement, No One Owes Us Anything (By NJ Ayuk)". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  32. ↑ "What Will It Take For 2020 To Truly Be The Year Of Gas In Nigeria?". Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
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