A renowned Professor of Marketing at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji, has advocated significant increase in the level of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes being executed by companies and industries in Nigeria.
Prof Uduji, who decried the current low level of CSR programmes in the country, appealed to managers of companies and industries to take urgent steps to improve on them so that such programmes would reflect the realities of the current socio-economic and cultural aspirations of their host communities.
The university don stated this while delivering the 199th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) on Thursday, with the title, “Corporate Social Responsibility in a Marketing context: A Responsible Business CSR Pyramid for Nigeria.”
He advised corporate organisations to channel their CSR in line with the socio-economic realities on ground in the localities it is meant for and not what they deem to be the best for the people.
Uduji said Corporate organisations should follow a pattern of CSR Pyramid and design their CSR model to reflect the socio-economic realities in the country, noting that Nigeria’s concept of CSR differs from its Western version.
The university don added that through research carried out over the years, companies are beginning to amend their policies.
“Through our research, we have been recommending to them on what they should do for the rural people, not just settling the chiefs and those in government,” he said.
According to Uduji, CSR initiatives in Nigeria, “should be aimed towards addressing the perculiarity of the socio-economic development challenges of the country and be guided by the socio cultural influences of the country.”
He disclosed that he and his research team once focused their research on multi-national companies in Nigeria and how their CSR should be implemented. He said they also looked into different Federal Government interventions and their impact on the local people who should be the beneficiaries of such interventions.
Professor Uduji is a great scholar, who holds an array of academic qualifications including four Masters degree, one PGD and two PhDs.
Uduji began his academic career in UNN as Lecturer II in 2005,
after working as professional sales manager in multinational firms. He rose through the ranks and became a professor in 2021.
The erudite professor has contributed to academic growth and research within and outside the University. This is evident in the SciVal rating of scholars where he was rated 13th among top 500 authors by School Output at University of Nigeria, Nsukka and 223rd in Nigeria (2018-2021).
Uduji belongs to different professional bodies such as EFEA Member (The African Finar Association is professional association for academic and practitioners of finance, economics, and related discipline with scholarly, professional or other similar interests in the development of Africa), National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).
Uduji is currently the Head, Department of Marketing, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.