“The Network’s six thematic areas are of priority to the UN and its goals. The honour of being invited to join the Knowledge Network comes as recognition of my expertise and research in the areas of financing for development, industrialisation, and trade, as they pertain to the African continent,” said, Dr Ezenagu. “The initiatives and programmes are being developed by all experts within the Network. There are also plans to link experts with countries and expand the network to include relevant stakeholders. I am positive that the Network will come up with initiatives that will greatly benefit the continent,” explained, Dr Ezenagu.
“At HBKU, I teach tax and commercial law courses, which are key to financing for development. Being a member of this Knowledge Network will further ‘bridge the gap between the town and the gown.’ By this, I mean that interacting with other scholars and countries on real-world issues will influence the design of the syllabi of the courses I teach,” continued, the professor.
The academic noted that his research areas neatly tie into the SDGs and their achievement. “Taxation is one aspect of the SDGs that guarantees sustainable financing, state sufficiency, independence, and the viability of countries. As we learned from Qatar’s resilient response to the Gulf Crisis, trade is an aspect that informs the sustainability and survival of any country,” he maintained.
Recently, along with his colleagues, Dr Ezenagu has been awarded a Qatar National Research Fund grant to host a conference on facilitating trade digitalisation in Qatar and beyond. “My teaching and research at HBKU, on Infrastructure Development Law, Commercial Law and Business Associations, addresses the governance models countries adopt. My publications on environmental law, especially through the lenses of tax and trade, currently influence discussions in the GCC and Africa. Carbon tax is actively being considered by African countries and I have been privileged to publish on it,” he added.