HOST COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) PRACTICES OF OIL COMPANIES IN THE NIGER DELTA

Abstract

The incessant hostility and insecurity in the Niger Delta is attributed to host communities feeling of frustration and deprivation owing to perceived neglect by oil companies operating in the region.  This has resulted in vandalisation of oil pipelines and crude oil theft that have negatively affected the smooth operations of oil companies. This has drawn attention to the practice of corporate social  responsibility (CSR) in the region. This paper aims to identify factors influencing and shaping host community perceptions of CSR practices by oil companies, which offers a veritable ground for making sense of their actions. Data for this article were collected in the host communities of two indigenous oil companies - Nestoil Plc and Moni Pulo Nigeria Limited, in Bayelsa States and Akwa Ibom States, respectively within the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria. The study adopted a case-study  approach and combined both primary and secondary data. The unit of analysis for this study is the
household. Findings from the study suggest that perceptions of host community members are more negative than positive, as they perceive oil production has brought more harm to them than blessing as a result of its attendant negative externalities.