Corporate Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development in the Nigerian Oil Sector

This study examines the contribution of corporate social responsibility programmes by Nigerian and multinational oil companies to the development of local entrepreneurial ecosystems in oil-producing communities of the South South geopolitical zone, with a focus on the Niger Delta states of Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. Oil companies operating in Nigeria are legally mandated and reputationally incentivised to invest in host community development through CSR, and some have established enterprise development programmes designed to build local supply chain capacity and support indigenous entrepreneurship. The study employs a qualitative case study approach, examining the enterprise development CSR programmes of three oil companies operating in the study region, drawing on programme documents, impact reports, and semi-structured interviews with 30 beneficiary entrepreneurs and 10 CSR programme managers. Thematic analysis was applied to interview and document data. Findings reveal significant variability in the entrepreneurial ecosystem impact of oil company CSR, with programmes that combine skills training, market linkage facilitation, and seed capital showing more durable enterprise outcomes than training-only or donation-only approaches. A persistent challenge is the disconnect between local enterprise capability levels and the technical procurement requirements of oil company supply chains, which effectively excludes many community entrepreneurs from the most lucrative market opportunities. The study recommends a phased supply chain localisation model that progressively incorporates local enterprises as they develop capability. Keywords: corporate social responsibility, oil sector, entrepreneurial ecosystem, Niger Delta, local procurement.