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Gender and food security in Nigeria: the role of corporate social responsibility in the oil-producing communities

Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji (Department of Marketing, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria)
Nduka Elda Okolo-Obasi (Institute for Development Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria)

Journal of Global Responsibility

ISSN: 2041-2568

Article publication date: 4 July 2023

Issue publication date: 10 January 2024

171

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on gender and food security in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a survey research technique aimed at gathering information from a representative sample of the population. A total of 800 women respondents were sampled across the rural areas of the Niger Delta region. It is essentially cross-sectional, describing and interpreting the current situation.

Findings

The results from the use of a combined propensity score matching (PSM) and logit model indicate that the CSR interventions of the MOCs using GMoUs have contributed to empowering women to effectively discharge their role in food and nutritional security. This is achieved by enhancing coherence in policies on gender, agriculture, nutrition, health, trade and other relevant areas in the Niger Delta. The findings also show that the CSR intervention of MOCs supported ecologically sound approaches to food production, such as agro-ecology that promotes sustainable farming and women’s empowerment in the region.

Practical implications

This suggests that recognizing and respecting the local knowledge of farmers, including women farmers, will help develop locally relevant food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa.

Social implications

This implies that promoting the implementation of everybody’s right to food, particularly that of women, as well as giving women rights to other resources such as land, in addition to engaging women and men in challenging the inequitable distribution of food within the household, will help strengthen food security in Africa.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the gender debate in agriculture from a CSR perspective in developing countries and serves as a basis for the host communities to demand social projects. It concludes that corporate establishments have an obligation to help solve problems of public concern.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to the editor and reviewers for constructive comments.

Disclosure statement: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Citation

Uduji, J.I. and Okolo-Obasi, N.E. (2024), "Gender and food security in Nigeria: the role of corporate social responsibility in the oil-producing communities", Journal of Global Responsibility, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 125-150. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-07-2022-0067

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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