Social entrepreneurship: answering “the call of nature”
Publication date: 31 October 2014
Abstract
Subject area
The case concerns sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
Study level/applicability
The case is relevant for teaching sustainability and social entrepreneurship to MBA students as well as for executive training programmes for middle- and senior-level employees.
Case overview
The Dignified Mobile Toilets (DMT) case describes how the innovative idea of Isaac Durojaiye, popularly known as Otunba Gadaffi, yielded a lot of socioeconomic and environmental impact and changed the face of sanitary health in Nigeria as well as glamorized what he called “shit business.”
The case gives an account of how Isaac Durojaiye – a graphic artist and a credit card fraud investigator – conceived and built the first mobile toilet in Nigeria by using a 40-feet container. Initially, he had to battle with the lack of patronage, as not a single order came in for the first four years that the wagon toilet was displayed. But Durojaiye was not discouraged because he was involved in security consulting along with the sanitary job. The case recounts how the Founder/CEO of DMT mobile toilets identified social issues (lack of public toilet facilities, poverty, disease, unemployment, crime and so on) in the society and turned it into business success; his efforts helped the development of the social sector in Nigeria. The case also narrates the growth of the mobile toilet market in Nigeria and DMT's market share of this sector.
This case also describes the poor state of public toilet facilities in Nigeria, which forced people to answer the call of nature in open places, thereby polluting the environment and jeopardizing public health.
The DMT marketing strategy and how the company made proper use of the area boys and widows to franchise their toilets was stated. The case also highlights the social and environmental impact of DMT toilets and the company's future direction.
Expected learning outcomes
The case will help student see opportunities in the social space and understand that there are business models that provide both social and economic benefits simultaneously.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email: support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The Etisalat CSR Centre of Lagos Business School dedicated this case to Late Mr Issac Durojaiye, Founder, DMT Nigeria.
Citation
Ogbechie, C. (2014), "Social entrepreneurship: answering “the call of nature”", , Vol. 4 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-09-2013-0187
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited