BEKEME MASADE-OLOWOLA

CSR IN ACTION

Bekeme Masade-Olowola, a well-respected sustainability champion and communications entrepreneur; who is on the board of the Global Reporting Initiative in Amsterdam, is the CEO, CSR-in-Action, a group made of a consulting firm, a think tank and a training institute dedicated to corporate social responsibility, policy development, advocacy, empowerment and sustainable development in the region. CSR-in-Action has promoted sustainable measurement and reporting using the GRI framework, specifically, since 2011, and has catalyzed the growth of sustainability adoption and transparency in the region, CSR-in-Action is the foremost independent ethical action network and consultancy for collective social responsibility and corporate governance in West Africa with strong relationships with business, civil society, government, and grass root communities. CSR-in-Action hosts The Good Citizen Initiative – which is expressed through a children’s Ethics Reading Club, the Radio Show on Inspiration FM.

So far what has your organization been able to achieve and what challenges have you faced?

CSR-in-Action is the most recognized CSR and sustainability brand and has been a positive influence on the business, non-profit and even government sectors within and outside Nigeria. We co-conceptualized and managed the establishment of the BCSDN, are the first to publish a compendium on business sustainability practices titled: The Collective Sustainability Investor Report: Nigeria; a detailed encyclopedia of CSR activities in the private and public sectors, are the first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) NWP private sector member in Nigeria, have advocated for responsible business practices – especially reporting, which has led to a high number of businesses adopting the GRI framework and the Nigerian Stock Exchange releasing the Sustainability Disclosure Guidelines for businesses. We have also increased discussions on local content, transparency and accountability and cohesive governance of the extractive industries which have led to sectoral reforms, facilitated open dialogue between government, business and the masses on hitherto uncharted matters, been instrumental to business linkages in the extractive industries and have directly built CSR and sustainability awareness and implementation guidance for over 4,692 professionals and future leaders; and over 100,000, indirectly.

As for challenges, while sustainability and its goals are internationally recognized as a priority for our continued existence, developing countries like Nigeria are lagging behind in understanding its importance for businesses and all citizens. This fact means that we have our work cut out for us as the organization strives to educate and partner with businesses; it is a challenge for us to continually present the business case for sustainability adapted to the various kinds of businesses we meet.

This fact closely ties with the challenges of human resourcing and receiving appropriate value for services rendered. It is further exacerbated by the paucity of funds in established sectors, whose players then assume that they do not need to focus on what they consider ‘non-essential expenditure’, without realizing that this is the exact time to set in place those governance, relationship and ethical structures, including environmental, economic and social, that would form a sustainable foundation for their businesses to become centenarians.

What advice do you have for cooperates who want to take up CSR plans and don’t have one?

CSR has many advantages that can apply to any business, regardless of its size or sector. This includes better brand recognition, positive business reputation, increased sales and customer loyalty, operational costs savings, better financial performance, greater ability to attract talent and retain staff, organizational growth and easier access to capital.

For corporates who plan to integrate CSR initiatives the first advice is to secure commitment from top management of such an organization. The next step is to develop a CSR strategy that aligns with the business and which would serve as a guiding book for whatever initiative that the organization intends to undertake, taking into serious consideration, our socio-geographic and economic context. If they can, they can afford it, they could get a consulting firm to handhold them through the process.