NJ Ayuk : Championing Energy Justice in Africa

In an era where renewable energies are hailed as the primary recommended options for African countries, one man stands against the global tide. NJ Ayuk advocates for Africa’s continued development of its energy sector based on hydrocarbons. He believes African gas can not only save the continent but also benefit Europe.

As one of the most prominent lobbyists in the energy sector, NJ Ayuk is also one of its most polarizing figures. He staunchly supports the use of fossil fuels for African development, diverging from the global campaign for renewable energies. Yet, NJ Ayuk’s journey from dreaming of becoming a civil rights lawyer to his role in the energy sector was unexpected.

Born in Cameroon in 1980, NJ Ayuk describes himself as “the luckiest boy born in Cameroon.” Raised by a single mother, he credits her for his success and determination. His upbringing instilled in him the belief that education is key to overcoming poverty and adversity.

“Everything I have I owe to my mother. She went back to university after having six children and got a PhD at the age of 65.”

NJ Ayuk

His mother’s determination not to become one of the statistics of African women affected by poverty and without prospects deeply influenced him. “When a mother raises six children alone on very little income, she understands that she must give her best and not be a statistic,” the Cameroonian shares.

NJ Ayuk’s path took a significant turn when a German Christian mission arrived in Mamfè, Cameroon. The missionaries offered to take the young boy to Germany, where he would attend secondary school and support himself by working alongside his studies.

In 2000, NJ Ayuk moved to the United States to pursue higher education. Inspired by the African American civil rights movement, he aspired to become a lawyer specializing in civil rights. After obtaining a degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, he pursued a law degree at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota.

Deeply influenced by the history of the African-American civil rights movement, particularly figures like Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice, NJ Ayuk dreamed of becoming a civil rights attorney. “I wanted to be a lawyer specializing in civil rights […] That’s the path I wanted to follow,” he confides.

In 2004, he enrolled at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota and earned his Juris Doctor degree, qualifying him to practice as a civil rights attorney, in 2007. He furthered his education with an MBA in finance from the New York Institute of Technology. Up to that point, nothing seemed to connect him to the energy sector, but the encounter happened swiftly.

Encounter with the Energy Sector

A great admirer of former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, NJ Ayuk took his initial steps as a lawyer at Baker Botts law firm in the United States. However, like many members of the African diaspora at that time, he eventually heard the call of the continent. “I had to find ways to empower people because the political struggles had been won – colonialism ended, apartheid ended. Now, we had to fight to give people economic rights,” recounts NJ Ayuk.

At the University of Maryland, one of his mentors, Dr. Ron Walters, taught him that a lawyer is either a social engineer or a parasite of society. “Each of us has a mission to use our education to make an impact on communities and to promote economic growth and empowerment,” confides the Cameroonian. For him, the sector where he could effect change in Africa was the energy sector.

“I paid a lot of attention to the energy sector because I felt that most of Africa’s problems stemmed from the waste of our natural resources, the lack of electricity in resource-poor communities, and the lack of training and education in resource-rich communities. It was even more apparent that Africans were not part of any negotiation structure. Africans were simply not at the negotiating table, not even in the room,” laments NJ Ayuk.

For him, many states are being “walked over” in energy sector contract negotiations and in the vast majority of negotiations in extractive industries.

“It was even more apparent that Africans were not part of any negotiation structure. Africans were simply not at the negotiating table, not even in the room.”

NJ Ayuk

In 2007, a few months after starting as a lawyer in the United States, NJ Ayuk founded the Centurion Law Group. Based in South Africa, the firm provides counseling and support to African stakeholders in energy and extractive industry negotiations.

Within a few years, the firm became one of the largest energy-focused law firms on the continent, with nearly 160 lawyers across Africa. It is also the first African law firm to be listed on the German stock exchange. “We did something very innovative by introducing a law firm to the stock market, but we wanted to make sure that everyone who was part of our law firm, our platform, could have a small share of what we had,” recounts the Cameroonian.

J Ayuk’s influence in the energy sector grew over the years, with the expansion of his Centurion Law Group across Africa. Notably, they aided Equatorial Guinea in joining OPEC and expanded operations to Ghana, Cameroon, and Mauritius.

In 2013, NJ Ayuk joined the Global Shapers, a non-profit foundation created by the World Economic Forum to unite a community of young leaders.

In 2015, the Cameroonian was named among the 10 most influential men in Africa by Forbes magazine. This recognition was attributed not only to the influence of the Centurion Law Group but also to his advocacy for changing the narrative on energy, especially the oil industry, in Africa. “In some countries, oil has been a curse. But in others, it has been a blessing. Some countries gained independence with enormous problems, then benefited from oil wealth. In some cases, this wealth was not managed properly,” explains NJ Ayuk.

In 2018, NJ Ayuk, now widely regarded as one of the leading African influencers in the energy sector, was chosen to lead the African Energy Chamber. The organization aims to support the development of the African energy sector and promote best practices.

Under his leadership, NJ Ayuk became one of the key figures in African energy justice at COP 27 in 2022.

At the conference, which aims to combat global warming by reducing pollution caused by human action, NJ Ayuk opposed Africa’s abandonment of fossil fuels. “We don’t have to abandon resources to wait for a messiah who isn’t coming,” he asserts, reminding the most polluting nations that they have never fulfilled their promises from COP 26 of $100 billion to help developing countries fight climate change.

Many voices rose in support of NJ Ayuk, making him a spokesperson for a movement advocating for energy justice in Africa. Its leaders declare that Africa does not have to deprive itself of fossil fuels for development, considering that it is still far from energy self-sufficiency and that fossil fuels enabled wealthy nations to achieve it.

In 2023, NJ Ayuk released “A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History With an Energy Mix.” Here, he champions natural gas as pivotal for a fair energy shift, citing its use by advanced nations despite their push for cleaner energy.

“The US consumes about one-third of the world’s natural gas, and demand continues to rise. This is because natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, emitting 50-60% less CO2 than coal and up to 30% less than crude oil. If it’s a viable option for affluent nations like America, why can’t developing countries reap the same benefits?”

For many, Ayuk’s advocacy for energy justice is deeply personal. “My mother and grandmother had to burn charcoal to cook. Those memories drive me,” he affirms.

By late 2023, Ayuk stepped down from leading the Centurion Law Group, likely to delve deeper into energy justice projects. Nevertheless, given his influence in the energy sector, it’s hard to imagine climate change discussions in Africa without him.

Source : ECOFIN (French version)