HOST COMMUNITIES EMPOWERMENT THROUGH CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES INTERVENTIONS BY TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN AKWA IBOM AND CROSS RIVERS STATES OF NIGERIA.

OVBIAGELE; Abraham Otaigbe; Idele Emezanena Fredrick; OVBIAGELE; Tope Bridget

Volume : VIII, Issue : XI, November - 2018

HOST COMMUNITIES EMPOWERMENT THROUGH CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES INTERVENTIONS BY TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN AKWA IBOM AND CROSS RIVERS STATES OF NIGERIA.

Ovbiagele, Abraham Otaigbe, Idele Emezanena Fredrick, Ovbiagele, Tope Bridget

Abstract :

Corporate social responsibilities (CSR) is the concern corporate institutions have for the welfare of the society which sustains their operations. They are self–imposed obligations of corporate organizations as a way of cushioning the negative operational impacts they have on their host communities. Unfortunately, not many organizations including tertiary educational institutions have been living up to the CSR expectations of host communities in Nigeria. This necessitated a study of CSR in host communities by tertiary educational institutions in Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers states of Nigeria. The design of the study was a descriptive survey with a population of 3,000 out of which a sample size of 945 subjects were randomly selected. Three research questions guided the study while three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level significance. A questionnaire made of three clusters and 11 items was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts in measurement and evaluation. Cronbach apha test was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.82. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation and the hypotheses were tested using t–test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed moderate extent of CSR with respect to the provision *of employment opportunities in host communities, moderate extent of host communities participation in CSR projects and low extent of recognition of deserving indegenes of host communities. Based on the findings above, the following recommendations were made: tertiary educational institutions in Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers states should step up their CSR with respect to provision of employment opportunities in host communities, participation/mobilization of community members in CSR projects; and recognition of prominent and deserving indigenes of host communities through award of honorary degrees and fellowships.