Corporate Social Responsibility and Insecurity in the Host Communities of the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Rebecca Oliver Enuoh

doi:10.5539/jms.v5n4p94

Abstract

<p>This study investigates the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy by multinational corporations (MNCs) in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The goal of CSR is to encourage a positive impact through its activities with the stakeholders, the environment and the general public. CSR also focuses on how businesses would proactively support the public interest by encouraging community growth and development. The problem of insecurity in the Niger Delta region is attributed to the feeling of anger and frustration by host communities due to perceived negligence of CSR initiatives by the MNCs. This has resulted in crude oil theft, vandalization of oil pipelines, general insecurity and actions that have negatively affected the activities of the MNCs as well as the federal government who depend on the oil revenue for its national budgets. This paper considers the CSR initiatives of the MNCs and the underpinnings of security challenges in this region. This is an empirical paper based on in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in the host communities of the Niger Delta region. Using the stakeholder theory, the paper maintains that initiating and implementing the right CSR strategy would help to reduce the crisis in this region and enhance the peaceful operations of the MNCs. It contributes to emerging discourse in CSR on how desired positive impact can be made through effective CSR.</p>

Highlights

Crude oil has become the major source of revenue for the Nigerian nation, 90% of her revenue is generated from the sale of oil and gas products
In line with the goal of effective corporate social responsibility and the need to boost a positive impact through its activities with the stakeholders, the environment and the general public, this paper has considered the CSR strategy by oil multinational corporations in Nigerian
The uncordial relationship is attributed to failed expectations which have resulted in different kinds of crisis ranging from crude oil theft to vandalization of oil pipeline, blocking of airstrip, destruction of lives and property and general insecurity

Summary

Introduction

Crude oil has become the major source of revenue for the Nigerian nation, 90% of her revenue is generated from the sale of oil and gas products. The ethnic unrest and conflict of the late 1990s (such as those between Ijaws and Itsekiri), coupled with a spike in the availability of small arms and other weapons, led increasingly to the militarization of the Delta By this time local and state officials had become involved by offering financial support to those paramilitary groups they believed would attempt to enforce their own political agenda. The two groups dwarf a plethora of smaller militias supposedly numbering more than one hundred This violence gradually spread to other parts of the Niger Delta and has become a recurring issue in this region as a whole

Objectives

Results

Conclusion