Ini's MUSE

As I check to see the AR-CSR advert on Page 27 of the May 2011 WEF edition of the African Business magazine, I scan through the other pages and lo and behold what I found; “…true corporate success can only be achieved if managers take a more holistic view of their activities and pay equal attention to all interests – not only of shareholders, clients and customers, as was the accepted business philosophy at the time but also those of their employees, the communities within which they operated and government aims and polities. This concept is now widely accepted worldwide and is usually termed ‘corporate social responsibility’. It has taken its time arriving in Africa but it now increasingly becoming de rigueur in most progressive countries” – Klaus Schwab, Founder, World Economic Forum 2011 Another quote I just read from Alice Korngold: "I contend that CSR is becoming such a force, that soon, if a company does not invest in CSR, that company's board and shareholders ...

There's been a buzz around the hosting of the Africa CEO Round-table and Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria by Nigerians. The arguments state that Nigeria is no example for the practice of corporate social responsibility and that our corporate and social investments are more of corporate philanthropy than for social impact. Interestingly, the interest generated by this upcoming event is much more than we have expected.  Big brands from Brazil, Angola, South Africa, Ghana, USA, and the Netherlands have called in to indicate interest in attending and partnering on this continental epoch making event whilst the Nigerian organizations are on the peripheries. Is this a sign that we are truly not ready for the discourse and evolution of what corporate social responsibility and sustainability is all about? If your brand or organization were to be measured by your CSR, sustainability and green initiatives, what will be your score? Have you ever measured the impact...