A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History With an Energy Mix

"The book addresses the many problems with the West's current approach to development in Africa, showing how foreign aid and misguided investments have often prevented African countries from meeting their own needs, and offers concrete suggestions for a viable program of electrification, economic development, and capacity building that will lead to climate-friendly energy production." --Kirkus Reviews

"Mr. Ayuk shows how the oil and gas industry can unleash economic development and prosperity across the continent." --The late OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Barkindo

In just a few short decades, the many countries of our planet have become interconnected beyond our wildest imaginations. And as our view of the world has expanded, there has been a rise in the demand for cultures and political institutions around the world to "think globally." While thinking globally is often well-meaning, acting globally without consideration for local countries can unintentionally cause harmful results.

In A Just Transition, renowned Cameroonian author and entrepreneur NJ Ayuk reveals how this sobering reality is unfolding as the International Energy Agency's ambitious green energy (IEA) policies have stifled and crippled the energy economies of Africa.

When the IEA set a hard requirement for countries around the world to embrace "green" energy sources, the burgeoning energy economies of Africa watched in horror as funding and business interest in their oil and gas energy projects evaporated.

With a natural abundance of oil and gas resources, Africa has the potential to be a global energy leader. But this transformation cannot happen for African countries through green energy alone. A Just Transition is an insightful exploration into the possibility of a bright future for African countries and the factors that stand in the way of its manifestation.

NJ Ayuk takes listeners on a detailed, expert journey through the following topics:

The reality of energy poverty

The value of natural gas in Africa

How foreign aid actually harms Africa

Embracing new technology

Creating opportunities for women

And much more!

With thoughtful governance, a keen eye for opportunity, and the due consideration of the countries affected by a sweeping legislation, it is possible for countries in Africa to make a transition to renewable energy that is not only just but prosperous for all involved.

NJ Ayuk is the Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, CEO of pan-African corporate law conglomerate Centurion Law Group, and the author of Big Barrels as well as the Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling Billions at Play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals.

His experience includes advising major companies and governments on energy issues and investment strategies. NJ graduated from the University of Maryland College Park and earned a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law and an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology.