Nigerian-born economics researcher, Oluwafisayo Ajayi, has made history at the University of Maine by becoming the first Nigerian recipient of two of its most prestigious academic honors: the Excellence in Research Award from the College of Earth and Life Sciences, and the OIP Roger Cooper Scholarship Award.
Ajayi’s recognition is a achievement for both the university and the global economics research community, as she is the first individual from Nigeria and one of the few internationally to be awarded both honors in a single academic year. Her selection has been widely celebrated, with leading scholars praising the depth and impact of her work on energy costs and housing insecurity.
The awards were announced on the official website of the College of Earth and Life Sciences and formally presented at a ceremony earlier this month, signaling the university’s high regard for her research contributions and community engagement.
Ajayi’s research could not be more timely. As the world grapples with rising energy prices, her study explores how energy burdens—particularly heating and electricity costs—exacerbate housing insecurity among renters. “People often talk about housing affordability as if rent is the only cost,” Ajayi noted. “But for many families, energy bills can be equally burdensome.”
Her groundbreaking research, which disaggregates heating costs by fuel type—including electricity, oil, natural gas, and propane—reveals a direct correlation between energy expenses and eviction filings across U.S. counties. It is one of the first large-scale empirical studies to explicitly link energy costs with legal housing displacement.
Beyond the data, Ajayi brings a personal lens to her work. “As a Nigerian, I have seen how utility burdens—whether for fuel, electricity, or water can shape household decisions in ways economists don’t always capture,” she said. “This award reminds me that our perspectives are not just valid, they are necessary.”
Her scholarly output extends beyond her flagship research. Ajayi is the coauthor of a peer-reviewed article on China’s technological spillover effects on energy efficiency in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, published in the Energy Policy Journal. She also coauthored a working paper, Landlord Responsiveness to Filing Fees, which examines how minor changes in eviction filing costs can influence landlord behavior using court data from Northern New England.
In addition, Ajayi has applied her academic expertise to community-based initiatives, including a local energy efficiency project in Deer Isle, Maine. These engagements were key to her selection for the awards, which evaluate not only research excellence but also real-world impact.
“These awards are not just personal milestones,” Ajayi said during her acceptance speech. “They are symbolic. They show that women scholars like me can produce globally impactful research and earn recognition at the highest levels.”
Ajayi is currently working on several new papers addressing the intersection of digital exclusion, energy burden, and housing policy. Her ongoing research is attracting attention from public policy institutions and think tanks across the United States and internationally.
Her twin recognitions at the University of Maine affirm her as a rising voice in the fields of environmental economics, energy justice, and housing policy. As the world seeks solutions to interconnected challenges of poverty, energy access, and inequality, scholars like Ajayi are showing what inclusive, impactful research looks like.
