Nj Ayuk
Nj Ayuk (born 11 February 1980) is a Cameroonian attorney, author, and businessman.[1][2][3]
Nj Ayuk | |
---|---|
Born | Mamfe, Cameroon | February 11, 1980
Alma mater | University of Maryland College Park (BS) William Mitchell College of Law (JD) New York Institute of Technology (MBA) |
Occupation(s) | Attorney, Author, Entrepreneur |
Website | https://njayuk.com/ |
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 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.[13][14]
In 2018, he launched CenturionPlus, an on-demand service for African lawyers and advisors to scale legal teams according to corporate and project requirements.[15] Since 2018, Ayuk has been the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber.[15]
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.[16]
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.[17][18]
Recognition
In 2015, he was listed in Forbes' Top 10 Most Influential Men in Africa.[15] In 2023, Ayuk was included in a list of 100 most reputable Africans who contributed to business and authorship.[19][20]
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".[21]
- Ayuk, Nj. "Energy Industry will be the bedrock of Africa’s Road to Recovery".[22]
- 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".[23]
- Ayuk, Nj (3 January 2020). "What will it take for 2020 to truly be the year of Gas in Nigeria?".[24]
References
- 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.
- 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.
- "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.
- "NJ Ayuk". whoswholegal. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- "NJ Ayuk JD, MBA". Advisory Excellence. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- 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.
- "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.
- "N. J. Ayuk Archives". Vanguard News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- "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.
- 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.
- "NJ Ayuk, Managing Partner, Centurion LLP". ecafrica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- "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.
- Farand, Chloé (9 November 2022). "UN gives platform to convicted fraudster lobbying for African gas". Climate Home News.
- 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.
- "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.
- "South African Court Rules NJ Ayuk Defamed Journalist & OCCRP". www.occrp.org.
- "Bogus copyright complaints seek to remove negative reports on minister and lawyer". Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- "How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists". 2 March 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- AfricaNews (3 January 2023). "'100 Most Reputable Africans' in 2023 announced". Africanews. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- 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.
- 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.
- "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.
- 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.
- "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.