Assessment of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices of Shell Petroleum Development Company in Rivers State

Corporate social responsibility practice by multinational oil companies in the Niger Delta has attracted considerable scrutiny, and an assessment of Shell Petroleum Development Company's CSR activities in Rivers State, South South Nigeria, provides an evidence base for accountability and community relations improvement. This study assessed the nature, scope, and perceived community impact of Shell Petroleum Development Company's CSR practices in three host communities in Rivers State: Rumuekpe, Gio, and Opuama. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining structured questionnaires administered to 180 community members with focus group discussions involving community leaders and traditional rulers. CSR dimensions assessed included educational support, healthcare provision, environmental remediation, infrastructure development, and youth employment. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for quantitative analysis. Results showed that 74% of respondents were aware of at least one Shell CSR initiative. Educational scholarship programmes had the highest awareness (67%) and perceived positive impact (mean: 3.8 out of 5). Environmental remediation scored the lowest impact rating (mean: 2.3 out of 5), with 81% of respondents describing oil spill remediation efforts as inadequate. Healthcare facility contributions were rated positively by 61% of beneficiary community members. Infrastructure contributions were visible but concentrated in areas adjacent to production facilities. The study concludes that Shell's CSR efforts in Rivers State are uneven and do not adequately address environmental concerns, and recommends community co-governance of CSR funds under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 framework.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, Shell SPDC, Rivers State, Niger Delta, community development