Ceramic inert anodes useful for the electrolytic production of aluminum are disclosed. The inert anodes comprise an oxide of Ni and Fe having a controlled Ni/(Ni+Fe) mole ratio which results in a single-phase structure at the operation temperatures of aluminum production cells. The Ni and Fe oxide material may also have a single-phase structure at the sintering temperature of the material. The single-phase inert anode materials maintain sufficient electrical conductivity at the operating temperatures of the cell, and also possess good mechanical stability.