Comments on: CSR: it’s not the same in Lagos as in London

By: Cant or Kant? PR-think gets heavy (part 2) | 21st-century PR issues › Paul Seaman's online review

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:07:32 +0000

[...] To reconcile this seeming contradictory position he draws on the useful work of Donalson and Dunfree. They say there’s a need in such communities for “moral free space” and for “micro-social” contracts to function based on their own established norms. We should, they say, acknowledge the existence, up to a point, of an indeterminate social contract that’s based on pragmatism. I agree (see my CSR: it’s not the same in Lagos as in London). [...]

By: Maris Obichie

Maris Obichie — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 22:56:13 +0000

The Nigerian society as a whole need to be well informed on Corporate Social Responsibility and the role of government. The people believe that the Oil companies should do the work of the government like building schools , roads and providing Light for the community to them that is CSR and the only part of CSR they understand. They need to understand that aside from the CSR which these companies really do carry out other duties are expected of them, by the Nigerian government like Tax and some other financial payments that run in millions if not billions of Naira which should be used on community development by the government. I do sympathise with my people living without light, road or clean water is sad and unfortunate. The Government need to step up and not push its responsibilities around.

By: chinonso (ph.d)

chinonso (ph.d) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:03:32 +0000

I do not think you understand what CSR is all about. Do try and take a course on business ethics.It will improve your blog on such a topic.

By: Let’s interrogate Shell’s CSR in Nigeria | 21st-century PR issues › Paul Seaman's online review

Tue, 18 May 2010 10:04:04 +0000

[...] 130th most corrupt state, and falling) as I recently explained in my personal account, CSR: it’s not the same in Lagos as in [...]

By: Paul Seaman

Paul Seaman — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:08:59 +0000

From Clash to Cash:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e96d6a7c-fafa-11de-94d8-00144feab49a.html

By: Richard D North

Richard D North — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:51:18 +0000

Dear Tim,

Yes, I did visit the Delta, in 1996 in company with a few other UK national journalists (courtesy of Shell). Actually, Shell has always divvied up a voluntary local tax (over and above its “rental”to the national government). Of course, that tax as well as its payments to local communities were all open to abuse. In general I have found this issue is very badly written-up in the UK press. “From Clash To Cash”, Financial Times, 7 January 2010 seemed to me much better stuff and I strongly recommend it.

By: Paul Seaman

Paul Seaman — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:11:34 +0000

Emeka, yours is a good comment. It amazes me how easily western-based PRs feel qualified to talk about Nigeria as if it were Goldalming in Surrey, UK. If they were serious about applying the same standards and expectations in Nigeria as exist in the UK or Amsterdam they would have to advocate breaking all links with Nigerian-based PR practioners (or tell lies about what goes on). Because it is no good PRs lecturing Shell about its behaviour unless they can address honestly the problems faced by their own colleagues.

Moreover, if they believed their own line, they would have to call for Western firms to leave Africa immediately (or ask firms to tell lies). Hence, I say, in contrast, that if we are to have a dialogue with credible or even with dreamy protesters about what goes on in Africa, we will only be able to do so if we speak with integrity about the realities on the ground because honesty matters and so does clear-headed thinking.

My experience in Africa left me with nothing but respect for the best PRs in Nigeria and for the best multi-nationals which operate there. But Lagos is not London and when I was in Lagos I did not expect things to be as they were in Zurich which is near to where my real home rests.

By: emeka ozumba

emeka ozumba — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:34:41 +0000

Paul’s observation on the common practises in the Nigerian media landscape is already well documented, often money changing hands to influence mention in the media, are fuelled more by infrastructural inadequacies like transportation rather than the need to corrupt and gain undue advantage over competition. It is instructive that just like Nigeria’s electronic broadcast are paid for, our Ghanain neighbours made payment for news official.

Shell paid and is still paying a price of long years of playing the ostrich while the plunderers held sway in Niger Delta. A truely global standard must not be measured on the merits of what obtains in the west and other emerging economies alone but in consonance with the cultural diversities and obvious challenges of developing countries like Nigeria. Perhaps then most multinationals will stop pretending that corporate gifting is synonymous with CSR just because it aids the bottom line.

By: Tim Beighton

Tim Beighton — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:17:09 +0000

Richard;
The point you miss is that whether or not the ‘activists’ claims were ‘nonsense’ it is a duty of a global company with global reposibilities to push for the correct behaviour to be implemented. Idealist thinking I’ll admit but the ‘forced partnerships’ you talk about, are a necessary method of protecting Nigerias interest and keeping some profits within the country, without which companies such as Shell would take while giving very little value back to the communities they work in.
Just out of interest did you visit the region when you were investigating?

If you did, I’m sure you will agree that aside from the massive oil spills, when you see the villages close to the Shell and other Oil company compounds without electricity and running water, whilst the compounds are floddlit, clean ‘different world’ areas with 24/7 electriciity it makes you understand why the people are a little disaffected. Of course as Paul has stated its not so Black and White here and there are issues with bad governance on both sides, but visitors must bring with them morals and have certain obligation to ensure improvements are made, not just to hand out cash.
As an aside Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) has used a model in Bonny that perhaps should be used as best practice in dealing with communities when involved in oil exploration and production etc.

By: Richard D North

Richard D North — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:18:59 +0000

Tim writes that “it was Nigerian activists from the Ogoni tribe (Ken Saro Wiwa et al) who notified the world of the company’s malpractice…..”. When I investigated those claims for the Independent (as a controversial freelance contributor) in 1996 I came to the concluson that many of those claims were nonsense, many more badly-skewed and some more or less accurate. My strong impression was that most of Shell’s “bad behaviour” flowed from its forced partnership with Nigeria’s state oil company and with chronic under-investment by Shell’s state partners. Let alone masses of other problems with the Nigeria state, local authorities and local power networks.

I am inclined to think that it is true that the whole issue would have remained undisclosed and undiscussed were it not for activists. I am inclined to think, too, that the terms in which they did their work were so wrong-headed and plain false that their activism may have done more harm than good. After all, one way or another, “activists” have brought much of Shell’s Delta operations to its knees and I can’t see how that helped anyone.