As the CEO of the acclaimed Centurion Law Group, NJ Ayuk and his colleagues make up one of the most esteemed Pan-African legal and advisory corporations in the world. With offices located all across South Africa, the firm has enjoyed a tremendous amount of growth over the past few years. Couple that with Ayuk’s expertise as the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber, and you’ve got a powerhouse of a thought leader and mover and shaker.

Under his leadership Centurion grew to 160 lawyers and set up a Lawyer on Demand program and was listed on the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange, marking the only listing of African-focused services firm in Germany.

NJ Ayuk began his educational journey at the University of Maryland at College Park in the United States. He then received his JD at William Mitchell College of Law in Minnesota and later earned his MBA at the New York Institute of Technology. He’s always made education a top priority, and is an active member of organizations including the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, the Institute for Energy Law, and the Petroleum Joint Venture Association.

Since he became the CEO of Centurion Law Group, the firm has gone through an extended period of global outreach, helping as many clients as possible with its insight and expertise. Most famously, it dealt with the distribution and sales of liquified natural gas to over 15 countries. Firm members have dedicated their time to places including Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Congo, Gabon, Senegal, South Sudan, Namibia, Uganda, Sudan, Angola Ghana, Germany, Cameroon, and Mauritius.

Recently, NJ Ayuk has spent much of his time with Centurion Law Group focusing on helping organizations including the Ministry of Petroleum and Energies of Senegal, the Ministry of Energy of Namibia, the Ministry of Petroleum of Congo, the Ministry of Petroleum of South Sudan, the African Energy Chamber, and the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea, assisting them with the development of their local policies and business strategies.

In the private sector, he has represented a lot of oil and gas companies entering into complex agreements in Africa.

He’s been actively involved in the drafting process of South Sudan's first exploration and manufacture sharing agreement, along with the 2019 launch of the first-of-its-kind Equatorial Guinea offshore gas mega hub.

NJ Ayuk’s achievements extend well beyond those he earned in his professional career. He spent time serving the United Nations, an invaluable experience that allowed him to carry the unique expertise and experiences he honed there forward into his position as CEO. He’s also been a long-time advocate for the training processes of African judges, lawyers, and prosecutors and has done pro bono work to promote this.

Additionally, NJ Ayuk has participated in various domain-specific seminars and conferences, all of which earned him a reputation as an invaluable speaker and moderator.

NJ Ayuk has had his work featured in numerous blogs and journals over the years. Recently, he's earned mentions in Chambers, Who's Who Legal, and Forbes magazine. He’s written several well-regarded books over the years, many of which went on to become industry-recognized bestsellers. His works on A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix; Billions at play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals, Big Barrels: African Oil and Gas and the Quest for Prosperity was particularly notable, as it allowed him to bring his insight to the topic of Africa's oil and gas structure, all while creating a better and more precise picture of African entrepreneurs and economies.