CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: A PANACEA FOR CURBING YOUTH RESTIVENESS IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The issue of restiveness among the youths in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria has reached phenomenal levels.In recent times it has caused a great deal of concern to the entire country, foreign investors and other relevant stakeholders due to the region's obvious contributions in generating foreign earnings for the nation.Aggrieved by the degree of degradation of the environment which is directly linked to oil exploration and exploitation activities of oil and gas companies operating in the region, agitated youths have resorted to violence and other social vices as a show of their displeasure to the injustice, hardship, and underdevelopment meted on the area by these companies.Considering the diverse benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to both organizations and society; and its ability to create business and socio-economic value while sustaining a cordial and mutual relationship amongst stakeholders, this paper examined Corporate Social Responsibility as a panacea for curbing restiveness among youths of the Niger Delta region, and by extension the entire youths of Nigeria.Revelations from this paper show that if done strategically, CSR programs have the potentials of appealing to the morals of stakeholders, sustaining competitive advantage for the organizations, improving organizational efficiency, improving operations and products, developing good reputation, and ultimately curbing youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.