Exploration In Nigeria

Introduction
Common sense and economic theory argue that oil exploration activities have the potential to boost economic development as oil is the sources of primary export income necessary for economic and social-political development of many developing countries. Not only does oil exploration offer a source of foreign exchange earnings, the industry is an important source of income for people through direct and indirect employment. In Nigeria, the crude oil sector constitutes the mainstay of the economy accounting for about 80 per cent of government revenue, 40 per cent of gross domestic product and 4 per cent of employment (Nwaigwe, 2008, p 33). However, not all oil exploration has led to economic development as some of the poorest countries

Researchers have attributed these practices partly to the exercises of oil corporations in their host communities. As Bosson and Varon (1977) argue, multinationals corporations operating in developing countries are driven by the desire to maximize profits and due to the power they possess, can influence, directly or indirectly, the policies and action of governments of developing countries, consequently leading to conflict or undermining peace and development mechanisms. In the last 2 decades, the MNOCs have been accused of making huge profits from oil exploitation and doing little for their host communities in the Niger Delta in return. This situation precipitated crisis that threatened peace and stability in Nigeria. This development damaged the reputation of multinational oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. In order to contain the backlash, MNOCs in the Niger Delta improved on their CSR efforts through philanthropic activities, stakeholder engagements and sustainability reporting. Despite these efforts, there are still concerns on the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the crude oil sector in Nigeria

Yet, both Chevron and Shell are participators of the UN program of the Global Compact and have been praised by several international and local NGOs including the UN as corporations that have had a major societal contribution to their host communities. Is it possible for a corporation that has been badly characterized for their earlier behavior to truly put into practice a systematic transform in order to ensure stability for host communities in developing countries? As such, this study aims to critically analyze and assess the role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Peace building and Conflict Prevention, taking the case of the MNOCs in Niger Delta of