Corporate Social Responsibility in Conflict Management: The Perspective of the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

The perennial conflict in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has taken its toll on the smooth operation of oil companies, their peaceful coexistence with their host communities and by extension, the Nigerian economic survival, which depends largely on oil revenues. The impact of oil exploration activities has resulted in negative consequences on the environment and human life manifest in massive destruction and disruption of farming activities, unproductiveness of farmlands, reduction of fishing in the waterways and increased poverty of the inhabitants of the oil producing communities. These have led to negative reactions by host communities, leading to conflicts characterized by protests, kidnapping of oil expatriates and destruction of oil facilities. All of these could have been avoided or mitigated through appropriate corporate social responsibility (CSR) in view of the fact that it is a veritable strategy for managing conflicts between oil companies and their host communities. It is on this basis that this paper examines the place of CSR as a strategy which oil companies can adopt for managing conflicts in their Niger Delta host communities. The paper conceptualizes conflict, identifies its types and causes, discusses the concept of CSR and examines its application by oil companies in managing the conflicts in the Niger Delta. The paper concludes that although the oil companies are engaging in forms of CSR as a strategy to manage the crisis, such CSR programmes have been inadequate, ineffectively planned and implemented. It recommends a proactive approach to planning and executing CSR programmes and projects as well as identification of key stakeholders in order to involve them in the planning and execution of such programmes.