4 November 2009
Lagos — Hurricane Katrina was a major disaster in New Orleans in the United States of America that rendered several people homeless. It was a disaster that thoroughly exposed the sole super power in the world and brought home the message that rich nations also suffer just like rich men also cry.
However, the difference between the disaster that occurred in the U. S. and others elsewhere was the amount of humanitarian response the former generated compared to other catastrophes in other parts of the world. Within days of its occurrence, thousands of volunteers had been organized just like several oranisations have put in their widow's mite to ameliorate the suffering of people. The quick intervention of the volunteers and organisations made the prevarications of the Bush presidency on the disaster less painful.
These facts were disclosed penultimate Tuesday during the 3rd Annual Corporate Responsibility lecture given by Antonio Boyd, Vice President, United States Programmes, Hope Worldwide Limited. The lecture was organized by Hope Worldwide Nigeria sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc. Boyd, with over two decades of community work experience behind him, disclosed that Hurricane Katrina was the singular disaster that exposed poverty in the United States. He added that the disaster also reinforced the primacy of corporate social responsibility in development efforts in the society. While hoping that Nigeria should not go through that kind of disaster to embrace the principle, he urged corporate Nigeria to take steps to make their impact felt in the community.
"We talk about corporations as if they do not have families, it should not be so. They are part of us and all of us should work together to develop the society. That is the way we work in the U.S," Boyd, christened 'Omowale" on arrival in Nigeria, said to a thunderous applause from the appreciative audience.
Declaring his visit as home coming of some sorts, he said the victory of the first African-American President of the United States, Barrack Obama, a committed community worker and mobilizer, was as refreshing as it was a lesson for everyone to work in the community. He said the victory humbled his race and it was made more important as they were alive to witness the transformation and the miracle of Obama's ascendancy to the U.S. presidency.
Boyd stated that even with the global economic recession, everyone present should consider his/her self as a revolutionary for development. He said he could not imagine that within weeks, Hurricane Katrina programmes handled by them contributed $320 million to the relief efforts. He emphasized the importance of volunteerism as an integral part of development work. He urged his audience to develop the right attitude and stressed that they must change to survive.
In this, he quoted the great American civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr thus to buttress his position: "Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." He added that there should be constant mobilization of the people to take action that would move forward the frontiers of development. He said citizen volunteerism could go a long way in helping the people reach their potential.
He said corporate social responsibility programmes in Nigeria should serve as a catalyst for change. His words for corporate Nigeria; "Build volunteers, collaborate with each other, establish an enabling environment to continue the phenomenal Nigeria CSR conference, help raise public awareness, award and encourage exemplary corporate bodies which have excelled in the delivery of development efforts and use it as a catalyst to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."
He commended corporate bodies such as MTN and Stanbic IBTC Plc for their efforts in the communities. He stated that the key elements of corporate social responsibility are partnership and volunteering adding that the glory should always be shared. He said the elements should work as a whole to be able to confront the enormous developmental challenges adding that it is glorious to help the less privileged.
In his speech on the occasion, Dr. Christopher Kolade, chairman of the event enjoined everyone to be a stakeholder in the CSR project. Kolade described CSR as corporate giving and "it is also about the generality of the people," he said. He stated that a leader does not have much stake in Nigeria more than his followers, therefore, he tasked the people to take action in their individual ways so that the country could realize its potential. He said in doing this, people must not lose sight of the enduring values upon which all good societies are built upon.
He said the lecture should give a new sense of responsibility to this generation. The main responsibility of leaders, he said, is to create an environment where people can be productive as much as possible. Kolade stated that he has observed from experience that the productivity quotient of Diaspora people is much higher than those at home. This, he said, is attributable to the conducive atmosphere in which they work.
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr. Yemi Osilaja, country director, Hope Worldwide Nigeria, said the theme of this year's lecture, Corporate Social Responsibility: Beyond Rhetorics, was informed by the need to examine the practical and strategic application of CSR to achieving socio-economic development. He said the lecture was conceived as part of HOPE worldwide Nigeria's desire to sensitize the different sectors of the economy on the need for concerted effort to help Nigeria achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 as outlined by the United Nations.
The lecture, he said, emphasized a greater involvement in socio-economic development by the organized private sector in Nigeria; educate participants on contemporary global strategy for implementing CSR initiatives; evolve an indigenous strategy for CSR implementation; advance a multi-sectoral approach to CSR implementation and management and to recognize and reward individuals and corporate organizations who have been exemplary in CSR initiatives.
"From our experience in the past 12 years in Nigeria, we realized that the Organised Private Sector, understands its role in socio-economic development, but has always been confronted with the problem of what to invest in, how to invest in it and, most especially, who to entrust the implementation of their social investment," Osilaja stated.
He said previous talkshops have underlined what CSR entailed while this year's edition is a call to action. "Now, is the time for us get our hands dirty. This is to move from the point of discussion to actual implementation. It is only through implementation that our goal of changing our society and attaining the Millennium Development Goals can be achieved by the year 2015," he added.
He hoped that the lecture would serve as in the past, the catalyst for an increase in corporate participation in the socio-economic development of the country.
Also speaking, Mr. Chris Newson, managing director/chief executive, Stanbic IBTC Plc, a member of the Standard Bank Group, said they were partnering Hope Worldwide in advancing a corporate social responsibility platform that optimizes value for all stakeholders. This, Newson said, is expected to help pave the path to social change and economic development. He recognized the fact that the challenge in Nigeria was walking the talk. He said a cursory look around the community reveals a lot that needed to be done to move forward the frontiers of development.
He said as a member of Africa's biggest banking group that enjoys considerable global presence, the bank would continually strive to create relationships that go beyond the bottom line, to the engagement of communities to positively impact the lives of the people.
"The Standard Bank Group's CSR philosophy is anchored on three platforms: our business, our community and our environment. The three are interwoven to achieve and sustain positive social development of the communities where we operate and even in some communities where we do not yet have business activities. Through strategic interventions in such communities, we help to create opportunities for the social and economic development of the people therein," he added.
Newson said such conviction underscores Stanbic IBTC corporate social investment major focus areas, which include education, health and economic empowerment.
"To be able to grow our global presence entails consistently investing in local capacity because healthy and economically active communities have a direct impact on our long-term business growth. All our stakeholders live and work in the communities in which we operate, so it follows that by supporting and investing in the wellbeing of these communities, Standard bank Group is investing in its own sustainability," the managing director said.
He added that the Standard Bank Group supports local communities through corporate social investment and encourages employee participation in community investment through structured opportunities as well as matching personal donations made by employees to social development. He added that the bank's social investments must be such as bear strong relevance to the social and economic developmental needs of the larger society.
"OOur corporate social investments will be such as can self-replicate themselves year after year. In other words, the initiatives will be such that can with time, perpetuate themselves and become self-sustaining rather than those that will require perpetual intervention," Newson stated.
In his address at the occasion, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State Governor, who was represented by Mr. Afolabi Kofo Abayomi, special adviser on special duties, promised to create the enabling environment for corporations to thrive. He said every government operates with its budgetary constraints and this, he added, makes CSR a compelling venture without the force of legislation.
Fashola stated that the topic calls for concrete and real actions to be taken to oil the wheel of CSR progress in the community. He craved the involvement of CSR activities in making Lagos realize its dreams of a megacity. He expressed appreciation to corporate bodies that have already identified with the project and shares in the vision of the state in other areas.
Also speaking in his short remarks, Mr. Atedo Peterside, chairman of Stanbic IBTC Plc, went biblical. He said since the holy book recorded that it was easier for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, the rich man could only make eternity by doing his CSR here on mother earth. The hall gave a thunderous applause of approval to this revelation and no lesson could be greater for our society's rich and wealthy in the eyes of the many present at Agip Recital Hall of MUSON centre, Lagos that evening.
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