The African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) Executive Chairman, NJ Ayuk, has been named among The Most Influential Africans of 2025 by New African, the pan-African magazine published by IC Publications. The recognition places Ayuk among a distinguished cohort of leaders, innovators and change-makers whose work continues to shape Africa’s political, economic and social trajectory across the continent and beyond.
New African’s Most Influential Africans (MIA) list has become one of the publication’s most widely read and enduring features. Compiled with input from correspondents and collaborators across Africa, the list identifies individuals whose impact transcends borders and sectors – whether through global visibility or transformative leadership within their own fields.
Among those recognized are Angola’s President João Lourenço; South African President Cyril Ramaphosa; Ghana’s President John Mahama; Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré; Botswana’s Minister of Youth and Gender Lesego Chombo; Ugandan-born New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani; Afreximbank President and Chairman Dr. George Elombi; as well as Kojo Annan, Steven Bartlett, Samaila Zubairu, Aliko Dangote, Jennifer Zabasajja, Cynthia Erivo, Sim Tshabalala, Hassanein Hiridjee and African Development Bank President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah. For many, inclusion on the list not only celebrates achievement but also elevates African voices, restores pride and provides role models for current and future generations.
Ayuk’s inclusion reflects his emergence as one of the continent’s most prominent advocates for Africa’s right to determine its own energy future. At a time when Africa’s energy choices are increasingly politicized on the global stage, Ayuk has consistently highlighted the continent’s distinct challenge: energy poverty. With more than 600 million Africans lacking access to electricity and nearly a billion without clean cooking solutions, he maintains that hydrocarbons – particularly natural gas – remain essential to Africa’s development pathway.
“If you really believe in what you do and stay at it, sooner or later, the world and the critics will cross over to you rather than you cross over to them. Admiration has an expiration date but commitment never expires. We have shown that with our unapologetic believe in oil and gas for Africa’s development. Many were not always with us but now they feel proud about #DrillBabyDrill and Africa’s unapologetic right to produce every drop of hydrocarbons it can find to get our people out of energy poverty,” Ayuk stated.
Through his leadership at the AEC, Ayuk has helped unify Africa’s oil and gas industry around a development-focused narrative. He has challenged what he describes as global energy double standards, where continued investment in oil and gas in Western economies is paired with pressure on African nations to abandon their own resources. By reframing the debate, Ayuk has anchored Africa’s energy conversation around fairness, sovereignty and realism – asserting that the energy transition must reflect Africa’s starting point, infrastructure gaps and development needs.
“I accept this recognition on behalf of the hardworking men and women at the AEC and the African energy industry. From Namibia to Nigeria, from Uganda to Mauritania and from Cape to Cairo, oil and gas workers are lifeblood of many African economies. Our team at the AEC rock. Amazing people and they put up with me. The hits, attacks and the heat that we take in doing our work, are nothing compared to the hardships that many Africans experience every day of their lives – especially those without electricity and clean cooking fuels like LPG. We must defend the oil and gas industry like a junkyard dog in the face of a hurricane. Western nations only care about climate change or global warming – Africans want energy and to industrialize then transition to something else,” Ayuk added.
Over the years, the Chamber has become a platform for African producers, policymakers, investors and service companies, creating spaces where African priorities are articulated by Africans themselves. From flagship events such as African Energy Week to sustained media engagement and policy advocacy, Ayuk has amplified Africa’s voice in global energy discussions, helping to re-energize investment conversations across the continent.
“We must continue in 2026 to defend and support the energy industry and protect the millions of good-paying jobs it creates for Africans. Thank you for this prestigious nomination. As long as I am the Chairman of the AEC, Africans and the energy sector will always have a champion fighting the good fight. No fight is bigger than Making Energy Poverty History. We need to continue championing free enterprise and limited government and push for financing of energy projects in Africa,” he concluded.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
