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The Challenges and Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria: A Study of Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF)

Ambily Etekpe , Fie David Dan-Woniowei

The Bayelsa State government established the Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) on 29 March 2017 with the mandate to “sensitize and mobilize all indigenes of the state, other Nigerians and relevant organizations (i.e. publics) to contribute to the Fund.…”. Implicit in the mandate are two-dimensions of corporate social responsibilities (CSR) (i.e., to and by the publics). Unfortunately, 62.5 percent of its publics argue that the Fund has not been able to implement them and are threatening to stop remittance and pressuring government to repeal the EDTF law. Thus, the study assessed the Fund’s level of implementation of its CSR, and examined the challenges/benefits thereof. It adopted ‘political economy’ framework popularized by Gray, et al (1995), and applied secondary method of data collection; complemented by ‘participant-observation’ and focused group discussions (FGD) technique. The study found that the Fund has not implemented, as well as, enforced its CSR; and recommended the adaptation of the Etekpe’s model of CSR measurement index to monitor and enforce compliance. The implication is that there is an urgent need for specific legislation on the practice of CSR to enhance corporate governance in the state and country.