The purpose of this presentation is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on extenuating the re-emergence of kidnapping for ransom in oil host communities of Nigeria. Using explanatory research design, the study took on both descriptive and inferential statistics to answer four research questions. Then, with the use of multiple sampling techniques, primary data were generated from a sample of 800 respondents picked from the region’s nine states. The results from the estimation of a logit model and use of propensity score matching to ascertain the key variance between variables in the treatment and control shows that noteworthy efforts have been made by the MOCs’ via CSR - GMoUs in the areas that aids in bringing down the main drivers of kidnapping for ransom (impoverishment, under/unemployment, wreckage of land, and poor exposure to training). This suggests that MOCs are aptly positioned to confront the drivers and triggers of economic kidnapping through investment in cluster development boards (CDBs) that will better environmental justice, provide pro-youth programs that harness appropriate skills required for peaceful engagement, and compliment government efforts in the planning and execution of the development agenda for their respective communities. This research contributes to the public/private partnership debate on ransom kidnapping as a social challenge from the standpoint of corporate social responsibility of multinational enterprises’ initiatives in developing countries.
Professor Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji holds a PhD in Marketing and Public Administration, an MSc in Marketing and Public Relations, an MBA, and an MPA. He is currently the Head of the Department of Marketing at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. His current research interests include social justice, social responsibility, and inequality nexus in developing countries.
Dr. Elda Nduka Okolo-Obasi holds a PhD and MSc in Development Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a BS in Agricultural Economics from Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State Nigeria. He is a senior research fellow in the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nigeria.
Dr. Joy Ukamaka Uduji holds a PhD in Human Kinetics and Health Education, an MSc in Nutrition, and a BSc in Nursing from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. She is the Director of Enugu State Nursing Services. She was the Principal, School of Basic Midwifery, Awgu, Enugu State, Nigeria.