NJ Ayuk, strong advocate for African entrepreneurship and the indigenous energy sector.
NJ Ayuk is a Nigerian entrepreneur and the founder of Kula Energy. He is passionate about Africa’s future and has dedicated his life to promoting African ingenuity in an effort to improve the quality of life for Africans.
Ayuk has developed several methods that include encouraging greater access to electricity in rural regions by way of solar power, promotion and support for African entrepreneurs, as well as increasing funding opportunities for innovation through making seed money available.
Ayuk believes that Africa can be a prime mover in the global entrepreneurial scene as well as an investment destination. He is firmly convinced that Afrika is not one of the problem areas in the world. Rather he says Africa has many issues that need to be solved but are not problems to be left unsolved rather challenges by which Africans can succeed against others. This, according to Ayuk, is an advantage and should motivate Africans to innovate and develop their resources in order to bring about change over time.
Ayuk has founded just as many as 3 startups: Kula Energy, which was a hybrid wind and solar company; GreenMe (founded 2012), a mobile application which aims to provide Africa with green jobs and technology; and Minit, a mobile app aimed at helping deal with petty crime. Ayuk also advises companies on entrepreneurship such as Olam International.
Ayuk has contributed with his entrepreneurial skills towards local development and has successfully empowered the lives of many people in rural communities. The entrepreneur launched a business competition called “African Entrepreneurship Awards” in hopes of putting more attention on the role of entrepreneurs in developing Africa. He also set up a social fund for rural dwellers to help them access clean energy and other basic needs.
NJ Ayuk background is a lot more than entrepreneurship and his work is more than just an activist. When Ayuk was young, he realized the importance of education and invested heavily in his studies. Unlike most, he chose to pursue a career in business rather than civil service. This choice paid off as Ayuk was able to carve a niche for himself in the world of business. Through his hard work, Ayuk was able to make himself a name as a business leader who is dedicated towards fostering entrepreneurship especially in Africa.
Ayuk also serves as an ambassador for Nigeria in the EU and has been involved in several projects that aim to foster entrepreneurship in Africa.
Ayuk received several awards for his efforts:
In 2017, NJ Ayuk was selected for the CNN Top 10 African Heroes Award. For his contribution towards African entrepreneurialism, Ayuk was listed among the world’s Top 50 Most Influential Africans of 2017
In 2016, NJ Ayuk was awarded the European Business Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
In 2013, Ayuk was named one of “Nigeria’s 40 under 40” by Forbes Magazine.
Ayuk has also been a catalyst in getting the Lagos state government to commit to providing better energy solutions and services by generating more power in the state.
In 2012, Ayuk was a recipient of the Shell-BTI young entrepreneurs award. This was to celebrate and encourage entrepreneurship among young businessmen in Nigeria.
In 2010, Ayuk was selected as one of “Africa’s 20 Young Stars” by CNN and became a member of the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Class 2011.