Internal and External Factors Affecting the Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts of AGIP in Oil-bearing Communities of South-South Nigeria

Abstract

The modern thinking in organizational literature is based on corporate participation in the development process of host communities. Therefore, to assess the efforts that Agip has made so far in this direction, a study was initiated in 2013, by the authors. The aim was to interrogate the specific internal and external challenges of Agip in the discharge of its CSR role in some communities where it has its oil installations in the South-South region of Nigeria. To achieve this aim, a survey was conducted in purposively selected communities which host Agip’s oil installations with the employment of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Results revealed that, Agip’s CSR efforts are being impeded by both internal and external factors. Issues relating to Agip’s approach towards project abandonment, job creation and divide and rule tactics, for instance, have dwindled community rating of Agip CSR efforts in the region. This paper therefore concludes by suggesting that, stakeholder’s synergy is needed not only in surmounting these challenges but also in creating a formidable platform for the sustainable community development of the oil bearing communities of this region who most times bear the burden of oil exploration, exploitation and transportation. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p459