A professor of Marketing at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji, has called on companies and industries to improve on their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes to reflect on the socio-economic, socio-cultural aspirations of their host communities.
Uduji who made the call while presenting the 199th Inaugural Lecture of the University Thursday titled: “Corporate Social Responsibility in a Marketing context: A Responsible Business CSR Pyramid for Nigeria,” said organisations should tailor their CSR in line with the socio-economic realities on ground and not what they feel is good for the people.
The don said organisations should follow a pattern of CSR pyramid and design their CSR model to reflect the socio-economic condition of the country, adding that Nigeria’s concept of CSR is different from the Western version.
Uduji said through research over the years, companies are beginning to amend their policies. “Through our research, we have been recommending to them on what they should do for the rural people, not just settling the chiefs and those in government,” he said.
He noted that CSR initiatives in Nigeria should be aimed towards addressing the peculiarity of the socio-economic development challenges of the country and be guided by the socio- cultural influences of the country.
