Igazeuma Okoroba, Ph.D. | University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria (original) (raw)
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Thesis Chapters by Igazeuma Okoroba, Ph.D.
Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, 2020
As corporations adopt innovative ways to secure business interests, they seek to influence social... more As corporations adopt innovative ways to secure business interests, they seek to influence social space. Stakeholder’s increasing awareness of their rights serve to hold corporations responsible for their actions and inactions to foster sustainable development in their operational areas. While not all stakeholder demands can be met by corporations, managing stakeholder expectations of Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) outcomes proves difficult partly due to the ambiguity of defining the content of development investments. This study evaluated the nature and types of development projects and outcomes implemented through the GMOU in selected clusters in Rivers and Bayelsa States. The study disaggregated the programme and project content of the SPDC GMoU in selected Rivers and Bayelsa State clusters. The study relied on the qualitative approach with the adoption of key informant interviews and focus group discussions as methods of data collection. A key finding of the study was that CSR and Community Development outcomes in the Niger Delta indicates a preference for quick win infrastructural projects over other forms of human development programmes such as income, poverty, health, education, and individual socio-economic development. The paper concludes that at every stage of development, people know what their needs are and can prioritise according to expediency, available resources and future development needs. While there are no pre-ordained paths to development, the study makes a case for expansion of development focus beyond infrastructural projects to accommodate human capital development and other forms of interventions in a broader community framework in order to meet more stakeholder needs in a sustainable way.
Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, 2019
The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to i... more The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to impact the outcomes of such initiatives in addressing the needs of rural women. The objective of this investigation was to examine the extent to which gender is mainstreamed in the governance structure of Shell Petroleum Development Company's (SPDC) Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) in Nigeria's Niger Delta region. The constraints and implications of women participation in the GMoU were analysed with a view of ascertaining not only the representation of women but their contribution to development outcomes. Previous analysis of the GMoU fell short by depending on secondary data obtained from SPDC's interval evaluation system or primary data that excluded perspectives of the rural women and men in the GMoU communities. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique while the population was selected using criterion sampling. Key Informant Interviews were conducted with 28 respondents selected in Seven active clusters while respondents from each cluster was selected based on their participation and experience with the GMoU. Focused group discussions were conducted with 37 participants drawn from communities in each cluster which brought the sample size of the study to 68. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis procedures using Sustainable Community Development Parameters (SCDP) as a guide. While the women appointed to executive positions enjoyed tokenism, the study found that gender representation in the GMoU policy was not significant to enhance community development. Priority needs of community women were also not being met due to the reluctance of Community Development Boards (CDB) to release funds earmarked for women and the inadequate GMoU funding to cater for community's priority needs. The mainstreaming of gender in the GMoU was also hampered by the lack of an intent on the part of SPDC to achieve gender equality and little or no enforcement by the monitoring NGO's. The study did not find significant evidence that showed women's participation in the GMoU led to improved project outcomes but it was established that potentials exists for greater contribution of women in local economic development. The study concludes that women's insights and values can enrich the community development decision making at the grassroots with the mainstreaming of gender at every stage of the GMoU process.
This paper investigates the capacity for agricultural enterprise in development of the local econ... more This paper investigates the capacity for agricultural enterprise in development of the local economy of two clans in the Niger Delta region, namely, Ogoni and Egi. Both communities host multinational oil companies but have experienced varying degrees on environmental constraints in addition to other factors which have led to a decline in the growth of the local economy. The survey was carried out in villages where the majority of the rural dwellers are engaged in at least one agricultural activity. The study focused on rural agriculture in order to gain better understanding of how people’s attitudes, natural resources and political environment interplay in the wellbeing of rural dwellers in otherwise naturally endowed communities. In this study, community economic enterprise will be evaluated in the context of community capacity building and inferences drawn for other oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region and deprived rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Papers by Igazeuma Okoroba, Ph.D.
Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language, 2018
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) brings together all the practices put in place by companies... more CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) brings together all the practices put in place by companies in order to respect the principles of sustainable development, that is to say be economically viable, have a positive impact on society but also better respect the environment.
Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, 2019
The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to i... more The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to impact the outcomes of such initiatives in addressing the needs of rural women. The objective of this investigation was to examine the extent to which gender is mainstreamed in the governance structure of Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. The constraints and implications of women participation in the GMoU were analysed with a view of ascertaining not only the representation of women but their contribution to development outcomes. Previous analysis of the GMoU fell short by depending on secondary data obtained from SPDC’s interval evaluation system or primary data that excluded perspectives of the rural women and men in the GMoU communities. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique while the population was selected using criterion sampling. Key Informant Interviews were conducted with 28 respond...
Academia Letters, 2021
No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precoloni... more No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precolonial era, was stratified according to royalty, military might, wealth, and religious hierarchy. The country became a conglomeration of different ethnic groups when the British amalgamated the North and Southern regions. The British-drawn boundaries in the colonial era contributed to the 'social construction' of the country's ethnic groups. Several years after independence, boundaries have compounding influence on the political, economic, and social stability of Nigeria. The association between pre-colonial ethnic political influence and regional development underscores the importance of ethnicity and ethnic institutions [11].
Academia Letters, 2021
No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precoloni... more No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precolonial era, was stratified according to royalty, military might, wealth, and religious hierarchy. The country became a conglomeration of different ethnic groups when the British amalgamated the North and Southern regions. The British-drawn boundaries in the colonial era contributed to the 'social construction' of the country's ethnic groups. Several years after independence, boundaries have compounding influence on the political, economic, and social stability of Nigeria. The association between pre-colonial ethnic political influence and regional development underscores the importance of ethnicity and ethnic institutions [11].
International Journal of Innovative Development and Policy Studies , 2020
There has been a buildup of research on the role of the corporation in fostering more equitable s... more There has been a buildup of research on the role of the corporation in fostering more equitable social contracts at regional level, as an aspect of stakeholder relations in developing countries. A body of literature analysed approaches for measuring Social License to Operate (SLO), notable among them is a proposition of elements to be acquired to build SLO. In continuing the dialogue between theory and practice, the paper applied the elements of legitimacy, credibility and trust in assessing the perception of SLO in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. The article is a case analysis of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) which aims to give an account of the stakeholder‟s view of the company‟s efforts to obtain SLO. In the case analysis, the paper outlined that the engagement approach of the SPDC‟s in the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) process has had little impact on the community's perceptions of the company‟s credibility and trust. The paper concludes that while SPDC maintained social legitimacy through improved ownership of GMoU projects and programmes, credibility under the current model is at a fragile level. The analysis further argues that corporations‟ risks rejection if trust is not
developed through collaboration and shared experience in the Implementation of community development. The paper recommends that models for community stakeholder relationships should be made
more effective through the guidance of frameworks such as the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in their engagement with host communities.
Books by Igazeuma Okoroba, Ph.D.
IGI Global, 2020
Book Title: Transforming Corporate Governance and Developing Models for Board Effectiveness This... more Book Title: Transforming Corporate Governance and Developing Models for Board Effectiveness
This chapter looks at the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR), specifically in terms of the diverse definitions and perspectives of it that currently exist within emerging economies. This is explored from its foundation and the interaction between business and society across different emerging economies. This discourse is linked to the interplay between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility across emerging economies. This is hinged on the influences of both the academia and industry, as the definitions of the former does contribute to the practical application of the concept by practitioners and vice versa. The chapter is divided into three sections, which are definitions, perspectives, and case studies, with each of these focusing on the issues as they affect the theme of the chapter.
Conference Presentations by Igazeuma Okoroba, Ph.D.
Resisting disinfodemic: media and information literacy for everyone by everyone; selected papers, 2020
Radio remains a highly sought-after medium for public information in Nigeria owing to internet co... more Radio remains a highly sought-after medium for public information in Nigeria owing to internet connectivity problems, poor power supply, and media expenses. In Sub-Saharan Africa however, the potentials of radio have not been fully tapped. The separation of the functions of media practitioners, researchers, and sponsors are identified as having an impact on information literacy in a dynamic and vibrant society like Lagos in Nigeria. The implications of oversimplification or inaccurate presentation of research knowledge denote the potential of researchers to contribute to shaping media messages. In practice, media practitioners are constrained to report what is perceived to be the requirements of a sponsoring agency. The consequence is that conceptualisation of social problems, programme design, and the delivery consequently results in audience misinformation and disinformation in some cases. This propounds the case for an examination of the roles of media stakeholders, financial sustainability, and regulation of radio broadcasting. The paper discusses the utilization of research messages to improve information literacy and concludes that collaboration between the actors makes radio programming more innovative and effective in enhancing information literacy.
Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, 2020
As corporations adopt innovative ways to secure business interests, they seek to influence social... more As corporations adopt innovative ways to secure business interests, they seek to influence social space. Stakeholder’s increasing awareness of their rights serve to hold corporations responsible for their actions and inactions to foster sustainable development in their operational areas. While not all stakeholder demands can be met by corporations, managing stakeholder expectations of Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) outcomes proves difficult partly due to the ambiguity of defining the content of development investments. This study evaluated the nature and types of development projects and outcomes implemented through the GMOU in selected clusters in Rivers and Bayelsa States. The study disaggregated the programme and project content of the SPDC GMoU in selected Rivers and Bayelsa State clusters. The study relied on the qualitative approach with the adoption of key informant interviews and focus group discussions as methods of data collection. A key finding of the study was that CSR and Community Development outcomes in the Niger Delta indicates a preference for quick win infrastructural projects over other forms of human development programmes such as income, poverty, health, education, and individual socio-economic development. The paper concludes that at every stage of development, people know what their needs are and can prioritise according to expediency, available resources and future development needs. While there are no pre-ordained paths to development, the study makes a case for expansion of development focus beyond infrastructural projects to accommodate human capital development and other forms of interventions in a broader community framework in order to meet more stakeholder needs in a sustainable way.
Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, 2019
The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to i... more The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to impact the outcomes of such initiatives in addressing the needs of rural women. The objective of this investigation was to examine the extent to which gender is mainstreamed in the governance structure of Shell Petroleum Development Company's (SPDC) Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) in Nigeria's Niger Delta region. The constraints and implications of women participation in the GMoU were analysed with a view of ascertaining not only the representation of women but their contribution to development outcomes. Previous analysis of the GMoU fell short by depending on secondary data obtained from SPDC's interval evaluation system or primary data that excluded perspectives of the rural women and men in the GMoU communities. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique while the population was selected using criterion sampling. Key Informant Interviews were conducted with 28 respondents selected in Seven active clusters while respondents from each cluster was selected based on their participation and experience with the GMoU. Focused group discussions were conducted with 37 participants drawn from communities in each cluster which brought the sample size of the study to 68. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis procedures using Sustainable Community Development Parameters (SCDP) as a guide. While the women appointed to executive positions enjoyed tokenism, the study found that gender representation in the GMoU policy was not significant to enhance community development. Priority needs of community women were also not being met due to the reluctance of Community Development Boards (CDB) to release funds earmarked for women and the inadequate GMoU funding to cater for community's priority needs. The mainstreaming of gender in the GMoU was also hampered by the lack of an intent on the part of SPDC to achieve gender equality and little or no enforcement by the monitoring NGO's. The study did not find significant evidence that showed women's participation in the GMoU led to improved project outcomes but it was established that potentials exists for greater contribution of women in local economic development. The study concludes that women's insights and values can enrich the community development decision making at the grassroots with the mainstreaming of gender at every stage of the GMoU process.
This paper investigates the capacity for agricultural enterprise in development of the local econ... more This paper investigates the capacity for agricultural enterprise in development of the local economy of two clans in the Niger Delta region, namely, Ogoni and Egi. Both communities host multinational oil companies but have experienced varying degrees on environmental constraints in addition to other factors which have led to a decline in the growth of the local economy. The survey was carried out in villages where the majority of the rural dwellers are engaged in at least one agricultural activity. The study focused on rural agriculture in order to gain better understanding of how people’s attitudes, natural resources and political environment interplay in the wellbeing of rural dwellers in otherwise naturally endowed communities. In this study, community economic enterprise will be evaluated in the context of community capacity building and inferences drawn for other oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region and deprived rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language, 2018
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) brings together all the practices put in place by companies... more CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) brings together all the practices put in place by companies in order to respect the principles of sustainable development, that is to say be economically viable, have a positive impact on society but also better respect the environment.
Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, 2019
The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to i... more The quality of women participation in Community development governance systems is considered to impact the outcomes of such initiatives in addressing the needs of rural women. The objective of this investigation was to examine the extent to which gender is mainstreamed in the governance structure of Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. The constraints and implications of women participation in the GMoU were analysed with a view of ascertaining not only the representation of women but their contribution to development outcomes. Previous analysis of the GMoU fell short by depending on secondary data obtained from SPDC’s interval evaluation system or primary data that excluded perspectives of the rural women and men in the GMoU communities. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique while the population was selected using criterion sampling. Key Informant Interviews were conducted with 28 respond...
Academia Letters, 2021
No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precoloni... more No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precolonial era, was stratified according to royalty, military might, wealth, and religious hierarchy. The country became a conglomeration of different ethnic groups when the British amalgamated the North and Southern regions. The British-drawn boundaries in the colonial era contributed to the 'social construction' of the country's ethnic groups. Several years after independence, boundaries have compounding influence on the political, economic, and social stability of Nigeria. The association between pre-colonial ethnic political influence and regional development underscores the importance of ethnicity and ethnic institutions [11].
Academia Letters, 2021
No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precoloni... more No society is without strata or class. Nigeria, as an ethnically diverse society in the precolonial era, was stratified according to royalty, military might, wealth, and religious hierarchy. The country became a conglomeration of different ethnic groups when the British amalgamated the North and Southern regions. The British-drawn boundaries in the colonial era contributed to the 'social construction' of the country's ethnic groups. Several years after independence, boundaries have compounding influence on the political, economic, and social stability of Nigeria. The association between pre-colonial ethnic political influence and regional development underscores the importance of ethnicity and ethnic institutions [11].
International Journal of Innovative Development and Policy Studies , 2020
There has been a buildup of research on the role of the corporation in fostering more equitable s... more There has been a buildup of research on the role of the corporation in fostering more equitable social contracts at regional level, as an aspect of stakeholder relations in developing countries. A body of literature analysed approaches for measuring Social License to Operate (SLO), notable among them is a proposition of elements to be acquired to build SLO. In continuing the dialogue between theory and practice, the paper applied the elements of legitimacy, credibility and trust in assessing the perception of SLO in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. The article is a case analysis of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) which aims to give an account of the stakeholder‟s view of the company‟s efforts to obtain SLO. In the case analysis, the paper outlined that the engagement approach of the SPDC‟s in the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) process has had little impact on the community's perceptions of the company‟s credibility and trust. The paper concludes that while SPDC maintained social legitimacy through improved ownership of GMoU projects and programmes, credibility under the current model is at a fragile level. The analysis further argues that corporations‟ risks rejection if trust is not
developed through collaboration and shared experience in the Implementation of community development. The paper recommends that models for community stakeholder relationships should be made
more effective through the guidance of frameworks such as the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in their engagement with host communities.
IGI Global, 2020
Book Title: Transforming Corporate Governance and Developing Models for Board Effectiveness This... more Book Title: Transforming Corporate Governance and Developing Models for Board Effectiveness
This chapter looks at the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR), specifically in terms of the diverse definitions and perspectives of it that currently exist within emerging economies. This is explored from its foundation and the interaction between business and society across different emerging economies. This discourse is linked to the interplay between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility across emerging economies. This is hinged on the influences of both the academia and industry, as the definitions of the former does contribute to the practical application of the concept by practitioners and vice versa. The chapter is divided into three sections, which are definitions, perspectives, and case studies, with each of these focusing on the issues as they affect the theme of the chapter.
Resisting disinfodemic: media and information literacy for everyone by everyone; selected papers, 2020
Radio remains a highly sought-after medium for public information in Nigeria owing to internet co... more Radio remains a highly sought-after medium for public information in Nigeria owing to internet connectivity problems, poor power supply, and media expenses. In Sub-Saharan Africa however, the potentials of radio have not been fully tapped. The separation of the functions of media practitioners, researchers, and sponsors are identified as having an impact on information literacy in a dynamic and vibrant society like Lagos in Nigeria. The implications of oversimplification or inaccurate presentation of research knowledge denote the potential of researchers to contribute to shaping media messages. In practice, media practitioners are constrained to report what is perceived to be the requirements of a sponsoring agency. The consequence is that conceptualisation of social problems, programme design, and the delivery consequently results in audience misinformation and disinformation in some cases. This propounds the case for an examination of the roles of media stakeholders, financial sustainability, and regulation of radio broadcasting. The paper discusses the utilization of research messages to improve information literacy and concludes that collaboration between the actors makes radio programming more innovative and effective in enhancing information literacy.