Steven Nabieu Rogers, PhD
Dr. Steven Nabieu Rogers has served as Executive Director of the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) since May 2022, leading the organization’s mission to promote just U.S.-Africa relations and to advocate for policies that advance peace, justice, human dignity, and the integrity of creation. Under his leadership, AFJN has continued to strengthen its role as a bridge between African communities, faith-based organizations, policymakers, and advocates working for a more equitable and sustainable future for Africa.
Originally from Sierra Leone, Dr. Rogers is a scholar, policy analyst, and advocate whose work focuses on globalization, governance, urbanization, and sustainable development in Africa. He brings extensive experience from both academia and the nonprofit sector, having served as a researcher, educator, and thought leader in Africa and the United States.
Prior to joining AFJN, Dr. Rogers was an Old Mutual Emerging Markets Fellow and Lecturer at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he taught courses on Emerging Markets, International Trade, and Globalization. Earlier in his career, he served as a Research Associate at the School of Urban Affairs at the University of Texas and as a Corporate Compliance Officer at Children’s Aid and Family Services in New Jersey.
Dr. Rogers has taught and conducted research in Sierra Leone, South Africa, and the United States. His scholarship has been published in areas related to globalization, urban development, housing, and public policy in Africa. He has also served as a peer reviewer for leading academic journals, including the Review of Radical Political Economy and the Review of African Political Economy.
A committed Catholic and lifelong advocate for social justice, Dr. Rogers believes that Africa’s development is best advanced through African-led solutions rooted in the lived experiences, knowledge, and aspirations of African people. His leadership reflects AFJN’s commitment to amplifying African voices in policy discussions and fostering partnerships that promote justice, accountability, and human flourishing across the continent.
Dr. Rogers earned a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master’s degree in Social and Public Policy from Duquesne University. As a young leader in Sierra Leone, he served in various leadership roles within the Catholic Church, experiences that continue to inform his commitment to faith-based advocacy and public service.
This version incorporates his current role and public positioning as AFJN’s leader, emphasizes AFJN’s advocacy mission, and reflects how he has been presented in recent AFJN and Catholic mission publications since becoming Executive Director.
