Distinguished Fellows
Expertise: African International Economic Order, Foreign Policy, Geopolitics of Technology
Expert Bio:
Jean Narcisse Djaha is the AIEO Distinguished Fellow at the African Council on Foreign Relations and Chair of the African International Economic Order Studies Program, an initiative he started in 2025 to reposition Africa as a co-architect of the global economic system. The African International Economic Order Studies Program
aims to elevate Africa’s role not simply as a participant but as a co-architect
of reforms that shape global trade, finance, and development strategies. ACFR
recognizes the urgency of building intellectual, diplomatic, and institutional
infrastructure to advance this transformation.
He is passionate about geopolitics, innovations, and diplomacy, with a focus on advancing market & state competitiveness and entrepreneurship ecosystem systems change in Africa, the African diasporas, and globally.
Jean has an educational background in political science, international relations, international business and trade, journalism, government, corporate strategy, applied intelligence, and political theology.
Expertise: Technological Innovations, African International Relations, Economic and Financial Cooperation
Expert Bio:
Dr. Ahmat Khazalt ACYL, a former Minister of Education of Chad, is a distinguished fellow at the African Council on Foreign Relations.
Expertise: Coming soon
Expert Bio: Prof. Joseph Nnanna is an Inaugural Distinguished Fellow at the African Council on Foreign Relations. Prof. Joseph Nnanna serves as the Chief Economist of the Development Bank of Nigeria PLC. In this capacity he leads the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and Sustainability arm of the Bank.
A seasoned professional with numerous years of experience in the U.S. mortgage, banking, manufacturing, and telecommunication industry serving in managerial roles before joining academia.
Prior to joining DBN, Prof. Nnanna was a tenured Professor of Business and Economics in Oklahoma State. His scholarly works have been published in numerous academic journals such as Economic Analysis and Policy, Journal of Public Affairs, International Journal of Public Administration, Politics and Policy, Foreign Trade Review, The CBN Bullion, The International Trade Journal, Macroeconomics and Finance in Emerging Market Economies, The Journal of Chinese Economics and Foreign Trade Studies to name a few. Furthermore, he publishes an op-ed piece every quarter in Business Day newspaper. He is also an editorial board member for the society for corporate governance of Nigeria and a member of the AfCFTA National Action Committee for Nigeria. In 2020, Prof. Nnanna contributed a book chapter in the European Investment Banks publication entitled “Banking in Africa: Financing transformation amid uncertainty with fellow economists in the (EIB) and in 2021, published a book entitled “Banking in Nigeria: Financing During Turbulent times”.
He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and MBA degrees in Accounting, a Master’s degree in Economics and a Doctorate degree in Corporate Governance and Economics from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Florida Metropolitan University, The University of Oklahoma and Argosy University respectively. He is a member of the Nigerian Economic Society and the American Economic Association.