Basil Ajuo

President & Chief Executive Officer, Minnesota Africans United

Basil Ajuo is the president and chief executive officer of Minnesota Africans United (MAU), responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization. Originally from Cameroon, Basil brings decades of experience in education, business development, and nonprofit leadership management.

He previously served as a congressional aide to U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar for over three years. In 2016, he was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees, one of the largest higher education boards in the U.S. Most recently, he was appointed to the Minnesota District Export Council by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Basil holds a graduate degree in public policy and advocacy from Metropolitan State University. He has also served on numerous boards, including the Metropolitan Workforce Council, the Center for Innovation and the Arts, and the Nellie Johnson Scholarship Foundation.

A centerpiece of MAU’s work under his leadership has been supporting Minnesota businesses interested in exporting and importing goods and services with Africa. Through this role, Basil has organized and promoted conferences and webinars on critical topics such as mining, agriculture, healthcare investment, educational exchanges, and trade and investment in countries including Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and Malawi.

Basil has also promoted trade fairs that showcase U.S. products abroad and advised African businesses on how to leverage opportunities in the U.S. through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). His efforts have supported both African diaspora companies investing in their countries of origin and Midwestern companies expanding into African markets.