Conflict is multi-faceted and as it is inevitable in human interaction. It could be productive or counter-productive, depending on how effectively it is managed. The perennial conflicts in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have arguably yielded unproductive outcomes to the host communities, the oil producing companies and the country’s economy. To the host communities, violent and non-violent reactions have resulted to incidents of ecological devastation, poverty and low level of development, which oil exploration activities have created in the region. The oil companies have been victims of destruction of oil facilities, kidnapping and killing of oil expatriates, all negatively affecting their business. Considering the fact that attitudes of host communities is very important to the success of CSR programmes, this study examined the attitudes of host communities towards deploying CSR programmes to manage conflict in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted and structured questionnaire was utilized to gather data from 527 respondents selected through the multi-staged sampling technique. Findings showed that CSR programmes executed by oil companies towards conflict management significantly influenced attitudes of members of the host community. And that they were to a large extent satisfied with the CSR programmes executed in their areas. The study therefore recommended among other things that oil companies should carry out regular consultations to find out the needs of their host communities.
Keywords: CSR, Conflict, Niger-Delta, conflict management strategies
