ASSESSMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS STRATEGY OF TOTALENERGIES EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION NIGERIA LIMITED IN MANAGING HOST COMMUNITIES’ CRISES IN EGI

Abstract

The study assessed the community relations strategy of TotalEngergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited in managing the host communities’ crises in Egi. The work was motivated by the perennial crises that enveloped the company under study in recent past in the host communities of Egi and the current echoes and re-echoes of the drums of war against the company. The objectives of this study were to identify the community relations strategy adopted by TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited in managing the host communities’ crises in Egi; find out the situations  that warranted the adoption of the community relations strategy by the company among others. The study adopted two theories stakeholders’ theory and human needs theory. The study also adopted a survey research design. The population of this study consisted of indigenes of Egi and the company’s staff in the Department of Community Relations. The study used questionnaire and focus group discussion guide as it research instruments. The sample size for this study was 396 respondents. Consequently, 396 copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents and 303 copies were retrieved in good order. The retrieved copies formed the basis for the data presentation and analysis of this study using descriptive statistics. The study revealed that the company adopted multi community relations strategies namely gunboat-diplomacy, reactive, divide-and-rule and multisectoral community relations strategies in managing the host communities’ crises in Egi. Similarly, the study found that violent agitations and stoppage of the company’s operations warranted the engagement of the community relations strategies by the company. The study concluded that there should be a paradigm shift in the adoption of the community relations strategy of the company. In line with the findings, the following recommendations were made among others: the company should integrate and adopt the principles of CIDEECS and BRICCS in its lexicon of community relations strategy to stimulate sustainable peace and symbiotic relationship with its immediate constituents devoid of crises and centre-periphery relationship theory in Egi.