Achieving
Development and Social Justice in Nigeria
By
Richmond Tiemoko
www.trucontactng.com
Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have become
two major concepts in contemporary development discourse and practice. Given
the development challenges faced by
Nigeria (a large portion of the country's population is faced with widespread
poverty and ill health, and indeed social injustice), the emergence and
practice of these two paradigms/practices would be considered a welcome
development.
However,
like many other development programmes, CSR and MDG programmes need monitoring
and scrutiny to ensure that they not only remain on target but that they also
remain relevant to the people. This short article presents some reflections on
the relationship between Corporate Social giving and the achievement of the
MDGs as well as the need to go beyond the MDGS to ensure the realization of
rights, social justice and core values. Nigeria has made substantial progress
on the MDG targets but those related to health seem to be the most challenging
targets. This paper points out the potential causes of the challenges and the
way CSR could help in achieving the health related goals.
Understanding
the Basic Definitions
Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby “companies integrate social
and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction
with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis”. Another reason for the emergence
of CSR is the ethical consideration captured in the term 'giving back to the
community', a term cherished by both advocates and professionals of CSR. In the
Nigeria context, just like in many other developing countries, the community's wellness
is hindered by poverty embedded in social inequality, injustice, and multifaceted
health challenges. The United Nations in the early 2000s decided to enjoin its
member nations to address these burning development challenges. Just like in the
business environment, the UN body set out 8 specific goals to be achieved
within 15
years.
These are Consequently, in the last few years , development efforts have been
focused on meeting the MDGs. Indeed, national as well as the international
development agenda is now measured in terms of 8 specific goals that most
developing countries have agreed to achieve by the year 2015.
In
Nigeria these efforts are yielding results. According to the UNDP, The
MDGs progress report indicates that much effort and investment is required if
the MDG's are to be achieved in Nigeria. It is therefore important for
different stakeholders to contribute to the achievement of these goals.
The contributions of the business sector (economic growth, investment,
job creation and CSR) are very important. For corporate organizations,
the contribution that they can make through their CSR activities to support the
achievement of the MDGs is definitely important. Aligning the Corporate Social
Responsibility of corporate organizations in Nigeria to support the MDGs
provides an opportunity for building winning alliances in at least three ways:
a)
A wining tandem between corporate organizations and the government which is
likely to alleviate poverty and foster social development
b)
A winning tandem between the corporate body and the general society which by
addressing burning development issues
gives a tangible meaning to CSR.
C)
A win in terms of business as this will positively affect the bottom line. Focusing
Corporate Social Responsibility efforts
on the MDGs is a very positive development. However for this win-win situation
to contribute to greater development and social justice, there is a need to go
beyond the rhetoric, mere talk, to focus on the fundamental values that would
engender development. This would mean repositioning social giving.
Repositioning
CSR For Development
Don't lose sight of the mission
While
setting out a list of specific goals may be very helpful in measuring progress
and achievement, the selected specific goals should not overshadow the
main goals and the
mission.
Many
individuals and institutions working tirelessly toward achievement of the MDGs
may not know or might have forgotten the fundamentals of the MDGS. The MDGs
derive from the millennium declarations themselves rooted in the
following fundamental values: freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect
for nature and shared responsibility.
A Better Understanding of Development Goals
Like
any well thought-out goals, the MDGs were/are specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic and time bound. However, further analysis of social issues and a
critical review of the MDGs shows that they are rather broad in scope, as it is
now being observed. For instance, while the primary target for measuring MDGs'
Goal 3 was originally gender disparity in access to education, five years
later, the UN Task Force on Education and Gender Equality expanded the progress
indicator and also stressed that 'achieving Goal 3 requires guaranteeing
women's and girls sexual and reproductive health and rights'.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
1.
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2.
Achieve universal primary education
3.
Promote gender equity and empowerment of women
4.
Reduce child mortality
5.
Improve maternal health
6.
Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
7.
Ensure environmental sustainability
8.
Develop global partnerships for development
An
indepth review of the MDGs points to specific factors and overriding issues
that are key
to
the attainment of the objectives. These include health, sexuality and rights.
As Professor Paul Hunt observed 'one of the most striking features of the MDGs
is the prominence they give to health', as over five of the Goals are related
to health. This is rightly so because health is central to poverty reduction
and development. While overall, health plays a prominent role in the MDGs,
health is in turn largely determined and assured by the promotion of the sexual
and reproductive health and rights of all individuals irrespective of age,
gender, ethnicity, class and other factors.
As
the World Health Organization points out, sexual and reproductive health is fundamental
to achieving the well-being of individuals and families and to the development
of communities. Therefore 'the neglect or denial of sexual and reproductive health
and rights is at the root of many health-related problems'
Understanding
the factors and evolving dimensions of the MDGs especially those related to
sexuality, masculinity, femininity, sexual and reproductive health and rights
are crucial if CSR efforts are to bring meaningful and relevant social
development. It is very laudable for the CSR efforts to contribute to the
achievement of the MDGs. Such public-private partnerships to support
achievement of the MDGs may be seen as imperative. Yet CSR should do even
better than contributing to MDGS for at least two fundamental reasons: Enhancing
community participation, shared responsibility and accountability CSR is
generally defined as 'integrating and addressing on a voluntary basis social
and environmental concerns. The community and social concerns are two important
notions in the practice of social giving. But key issues to keep in mind are
not just the definitions of community but how and under what circumstances do
the concerns of a particular community emerge? In others words how do we ensure
that community's concerns and nothing else are addressed. Of course the eight
targets of the MDGs
should
be the concern of all communities. Nevertheless, however commendable and relevant
the MDGs may be, they may not reflect all the priorities in terms of the short and
long term concerns of the communities. This is because the design and
development of the MDGs were not (sufficiently) participatory processes. Indeed,
CSR that supports and addresses the realisation of rights (particularly rights
to health and age- appropriate education (including sexuality education) could
enhance community participation. Enhancing community participation is likely to
promote responsibility and accountability.
Voluntarism
Too
much focus of CSR on achieving the MDGs could undermine the fundamental aspect
of CSR: Voluntarism. With the challenges in achieving most of the goals and the
worries and concern of various stakeholders (government, community,
individuals) over the level of progress made on MDGs especially as the deadline
is fast approaching ,corporate organizations may be 'forced' to take on the
responsibility and role of other players. In fact the demand and pressure for
corporate organizations to “perform” using their CSR projects may at times
appear coercive. Such a situation would not only undermine the fundamentals of
CSR but could also affect business ethics, market operations and even
accountability of the socio-economic contract. In the last few years corporate
organizations in Nigerian (for example in the
telecommunication,
banking and insurance sectors) have expanded and created a considerable number
of jobs; thus contributing to poverty reduction. There is need to strike a
balance such that implementers of CSR projects can within the parameters of what
CSR stands for, contribute efficiently to development (including achievement of
the MDGs) .
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