Corporate social responsibility in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria: the case for a legalised framework

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the extant corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. The oil and gas industry has been beset by a lot of problems not limited to violence, kidnappings, eco-terrorism, and maladministration amongst others. One of the strategies of curing or mitigating these inherent problems in the oil and gas sector is the use of CSR initiatives by many oil multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in Nigeria. Notwithstanding that the majority of CSR initiatives in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria are voluntary, this chapter avers that CSR initiatives should be made mandatory by the Nigerian government. Furthermore, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) should play an integral role in the implementation of any legalised framework on CSR that will be developed in the country. This chapter suggests that a CSR law should be developed specifically for the oil and gas industry to mitigate the negative externalities arising from the activities of oil MNCs in the Niger Delta region of the country