An analysis of the role of corporate social responsibility intervention in the variation of quality of life in selected rural settlements in Bayelsa State was undertaken. The study covered fifteen communities; ten oil and gas bearing communities within the Nun River Oilfield that benefit from corporate social responsibility interventions and five adjoining non-oil and gas bearing communities that do not benefit as such. The study mainly utilised primary source of data which was collected through survey method. A well-structured questionnaire was designed and administered on 398 respondents in all sampled communities selected through the simple random sampling technique. Data were both descriptively and statistically analysed. The results of the descriptive analyses showed variations. Likewise, results of an ANOVA test showed that F-ratio calculated 1527.552 was greater than tabulated value of 3.84, and P-value 0.000 was less than significant 0.05 indicating that corporate social responsibility interventions caused significant quality of life variation in Nun River Oilfield Communities and Neighbouring Communities. The study also revealed inadequate provision or non-availability of basic amenities in the sampled communities, even in greater percentages in Neighbouring Communities, which holds far-reaching consequences for quality of life. Consequently, it is recommended that Government at all levels should undertake rural infrastructure development to improve quality of life of individuals and communities. The provision of basic amenities in these rural settlements shall also stem the spite of rural–urban migration being experienced.
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Quality of life, Variation, rural settlements
