A CSR Sustainability expert, Mr. Adewole Lawal, has advised corporate organisations to tailor their corporate social responsibility (CSR) “in such a way to meet the needs of the people in their host communities ethically.”

“When organisations do this, they are building trust from the people and will ultimately gain their trust,” he added.

Lawal, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager, Anheuser-Busch InBev Africa, spoke at the maiden Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Retreat (CSR-S 2021) in Nigeria, held recently in Lagos.

“It is imperative for companies to have a robust CSR plan and strategy that encapsulate the yearnings of the people,” Lawal said.

He used Nigeria’s recently signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as a case study, noting that emphasis was more on meeting the needs of the people in the host communities, “thus driving the visions and development of the community.”

He emphasised “the need to have a community development engagement usually obtained through proper stakeholders’ engagement plan.”

Exploding what he called one of the myths of CSR, Lawal said: “CSR does not remove from profitability if well designed and implemented. It is a topic that investors are desirous of, in making their decisions.”

He frowned at what he described as “copy and paste practices of CSR as a form of competitive strategy,” saying that, “rather, CSR practices should be designed based on the mission and vision of the organisation in a way to meet their corporate objectives and overcome concerns around the chosen industry.”

The Retreat, held virtually on Thursday, November 25, 2021, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, had a three-pronged agenda, namely; Review Refocus and Refire.

Organised by News Express in partnership with P3 Media, the event had First Bank Nigeria Plc and Guinness Nigeria Plc as sponsors.

Other facilitators included News Express Publisher Isaac Umunna; Mrs. Susie Onwuka, Head, Lagos Office, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Nigeria; and Nelson Obine, a Business Development & Sustainability Expert.

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