Social investment through community enterprise: The case of multinational corporations involvement in the development of Nigerian water resources

Abstract

This paper examines the different mechanisms used by multinational corporations (MNCs) in Nigeria seeking to make long-term social investments by meeting the critical challenge of improving water provision. Community enterprise - an increasingly common form of social enterprise, which pursues charitable objectives through business activities - may be the most effective mechanism for building local capacity in a sustainable and accountable way. Traditionally, social investments by MNCs have involved either donations to a charity, which then assumes responsibility for delivering social outcomes, or direct management of social investment in-house. These approaches have been criticized, however,..