NJ Ayuk is a Cameroonian-born CEO of Centurion Law Group, a pan-African corporate law firm with banking, energy, and extractive industry customers.

With its headquarters in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Centurion operates out of four countries across the continent.

NJ Ayuk has considerable expertise advising multinational firms and governments on all stages of natural resource project development, negotiation, and implementation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Most recently, he assisted Oranto Petroleum, one of Africa’s major oil exploration corporations, in acquiring four oil blocks in the Republic of Niger.

He simply gave me a rundown of his resume, and we discussed his outlook for the African oil and gas industry in 2019.

A One-on-one Interview with NJ Ayuk

“I got my political science and government undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland.” Ayuk added that he got his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law, he also graduated with an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology.

After working with the UN Development Programme, Vanco Energy, and BakerBotts LLP, he left independently and founded Centurion Law Group.

Ayuk learned the value of hard work and excellent customer service while working in the hospitality, construction, and fast-food industries before securing a white-collar position.

Though still young, he has established himself as one of Africa’s most influential players in the energy industry. When did you initially get interested in law, and what led you to desire to focus on energy law specifically?

When NJ Ayuk was a student at the University of Maryland, Dr. Ron Walters, who had previously worked as Jesse Jackson’s deputy campaign manager, profoundly impacted his dedication to social justice.

One of the critical tenets of Charles Hamilton Houston’s teachings is that a lawyer is either a contributor to society or a drain on it. His education has given him the means to improve the world, particularly in economic development and individual liberties.

The lack of electricity for big swaths of the population and the lack of proper training and education in resource-rich towns are at the root of many of Africa’s problems, which is why he focused so much on the energy industry.

Moreover, the scarcity of Africans in positions of power was especially noticeable. To rephrase: absolutely no Africans were present.

Then you’ll wonder why white people in the West consistently dominate and succeed. Why shouldn’t people of African descent have the same opportunities to build their businesses as people of any other race?

Although I lacked oil and gas sector expertise, I was confident in my abilities because of my education and training in commercial and legal matters. Just by working harder than everyone else, I was able to achieve my goal.

I was confident in my ability to succeed in this sector despite being an African American, a minority that is underrepresented in the workplace.

I enjoy engaging in activities that allow me to compete and achieve accomplishment in my free time. I was so sure of my superiority that I didn’t hesitate to get into the ring and try it.