The strategic role of the entrepreneur as an agent of economic transformation in society is visible in employment and wealth generation, stimulation of indigenous entrepreneurship or promotion of entrepreneurial culture. The Nigerian government has accordingly created the enabling environment to nurture entrepreneurial development, through the establishment of various agencies to provide financial resources to small and medium scale enterprise operators or entrepreneurs. Despite the provision of financial resources to these entrepreneurs, there is still a high rate of entrepreneurial failure. The paper advocated a shift in paradigm in re-thinking entrepreneurial failure in the country. The missing links to successful entrepreneurship were identified to be entrepreneurial competencies, defined as the cluster of related knowledge, attitudes, and skills which an entrepreneur must acquire or possess to enable him produce outstanding performance and maximize profit in the business. These entrepreneurial competencies were the critical success factors to entrepreneurship, and they deserve serious consideration in entrepreneurial discourse and not to be neglected.

The paper evaluates the potential of corporate social responsibility (CRS) in addressing insurgents in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Effective CSR is relative and depends on the peculiarity of the area in order for corporations to achieve desired results. The paper adopts a theoretical interdisciplinary methodology based on a review of literature and deductive arguments on CSR and sustainability. The paper identifies lack of effective planning and implementation of CSR by multinational oil companies as one of the contributory factors to the crisis in the region. It also notes that the issues of oil pipeline destruction, kidnapping of oil workers and oil-related contestations, inter and intra communal conflicts, crude oil theft and general insecurity have not been successfully addressed. The paper therefore recommends that sustainable development through the provision of needed basic infrastructure, sustainable livelihood initiatives and community participation strategies be put in place as solutions to the crisis. The study contributes an innovative way of CSR implementation that is based on collaborative participation rather than company policy and need assessment of CSR projects.

Business organizations are expected to meet certain social obligations in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In the Niger Delta region of Nigeria oil Multinational corporations (MNC) have not been left out in this regards. There have been remarkable changes in the host communities as most of the facilities provided by the MNCs have either been absent, insufficient or dysfunctional. Despite the activities of the MNCs, the opinion and attitudes of the host communities portray an act of antagonism rather than support for the MNCs giving rise to an imaginary gap between what is done and how it is perceived. The questions then are; what could be responsible for such attitude? And in whose interest is CSR by the MNCs. This paper examines the host communities' perception of CSR initiatives by the MNCs. The study is based on analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with the host communities in the empirical section, as well as a review of related literature. From the stakeholder perspective, this paper argues that the practical difficulty encountered by the MNCs in achieving the desired outcome from CSR programs is due to lack of understanding and consideration of the contractual relationship between the host communities and the MNCs. The results show that the stakeholders' perspective deserves huge attention for those MNCs considering the keys to business success. The paper concludes that CSR initiatives cannot be successful without proper need assessment from the affected stakeholders whose interest ought to be protected. This paper contributes to a proactive rather than a reactive approach to CSR initiatives.

<p>This study investigates the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy by multinational corporations (MNCs) in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The goal of CSR is to encourage a positive impact through its activities with the stakeholders, the environment and the general public. CSR also focuses on how businesses would proactively support the public interest by encouraging community growth and development. The problem of insecurity in the Niger Delta region is attributed to the feeling of anger and frustration by host communities due to perceived negligence of CSR initiatives by the MNCs. This has resulted in crude oil theft, vandalization of oil pipelines, general insecurity and actions that have negatively affected the activities of the MNCs as well as the federal government who depend on the oil revenue for its national budgets. This paper considers the CSR initiatives of the MNCs and the underpinnings of security challenges in this region. This is an empirical paper based on in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in the host communities of the Niger Delta region. Using the stakeholder theory, the paper maintains that initiating and implementing the right CSR strategy would help to reduce the crisis in this region and enhance the peaceful operations of the MNCs. It contributes to emerging discourse in CSR on how desired positive impact can be made through effective CSR.</p>

The banking industry which constitutes a strategic sector that drives the nation's economy performs the function of financial intermediation. The series of reforms (mergers and acquisitions) in the Nigerian banking sector have tended to impact on the industrial relations system, creating anxiety and concerns for employees and the labour unions and management. This paper seeks to examine the embedded issues in labour-management relations. It further highlights the challenges arising from the reforms and finally suggests the roles that organized labour, management and government should play to achieve harmonious industrial relations in the banking sector. The paper adopts a methodology of documentary analysis and a review of the relevant literature. The study finds that the banking sector reforms brought many challenges for labour-management relations and these included among others the undermining of the principles of good industrial relations, job losses, employee turnover and loss of talents, loss of job commitment, low employee morale, casualistion of labour, etc. To re-establish robust and effective employee relations in the industry, in the post-consolidation era, the paper recommends that the union leaders undertake constant training and retraining of their members to keep a breast with best practices in labour unionism, enhancing the quality of their leadership as well as promoting and strengthening union internal democracy, among others. Management on their part must see the employees as strategic business partners in the industry, ensure effective and proper management of organisational resources, develop open and effective communication system with unions and be amenable to union suggestions to enhance the quality of employee relations. The government on her part and as an actor in the industrial relations system should make adequate provision to integrate people-issues in industry reform programmes.