Abstract

This paper focused on women’s protests in the struggle against marginalisation by the multinational oil corporations in Nigeria, which have caused violent conflicts in the Niger Delta region of the country.  Using women’s protests against two oil companies, Shell and Chevron, the paper examined the role of such protests in the revitalisation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a core corporate communications and business survival strategy for multinational oil companies operating in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. Primary data were gathered using the interview method while media reports on the protests comprised the secondary data. Key findings from the study indicate that the oil companies were receptive to the demands of the protesting women; and that the women’s protest had an impact on the multinational oil companies’ corporate social responsibility activities in the communities as the companies changed their community relations strategy.

Key Words: Corporate Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility,

                      Community Relations, Reputation Management.

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 6, No. 2, October  2014, 211 – 223 

©Delmas Communications Ltd.

About the authors

Abigail Odozi Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Head, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

⃰  ⃰ Dr. Ismail Adegboyega Ibraheem, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

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