Corporate Social Responsibility and Law in Africa

This book examines the conception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Africa, expanding it’s frontiers beyond corporate reporting, voluntary corporate charity and community development projects.Taking a corporate law perspective on CSR, the author combines theory and practice to explain how CSR interacts with of sustainable development and sets an agenda for effective operationalization in Africa. The book not only devises an enforcement mechanism towards embedding effective CSR and sustainable development in Africa but also addresses CSR greenwash on the continent. The author critically examines CSR practices, legal and regulatory techniques in Nigeria and South Africa in the context of contexts of international regulatory dialogues and shows how corporate socially responsible behaviour can be effectively embedded within business communities in Africa. Increasing our understanding of the theoretical, legal and regulatory frameworks supporting corporate responsibility, this book will be of interest to scholars, policy makers and practitioners in the fields of Africa law, corporate law, corporate social responsibility and African business.

Path breaking, intellectually captivating and brilliantly constructive… An excellent resource reading material for libraries and top-notch treatise collections…Dr. Nojeem Amodu’s book "Corporate Social Responsibility and Law in Africa: Theories, Issues and Practices" (London: Routledge, 2020) gives a unique perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which aligns with emerging 21st Century ideological, philosophical, legal and business constructs of CSR within the broader dynamic context of corporate governance and related environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The author deployed uncanny intellectual prowess and thinking outside "the box" to set the basis for pragmatic CSR with potential to spur companies’ operations and sustainable development in the Continent. His analysis of CSR from a corporate law perspective highlight other relevant aspects of law such as human rights law, environmental law, and international economic law, combined with vital principles of law in equity, contracts, torts and law of evidence. What sets the book apart is the remarkable intellectual quality and pioneer effort on legal research and practice of CSR beyond the restricted concepts of corporate charity/philanthropy and community development. Dr. Amodu has raised the bar of CSR intellectual discourse to a new level where it can impact fully national policy change for dynamic growth of a culture of CSR not only in Nigeria, but Africa as a whole and beyond the Continent. The author has produced a book which would be of tremendous interest and benefit to a broad spectrum of target groups who want to gain more insights on the globally relevant subject matter of Corporate Social Responsibility still on the front burner of national and international discourse. This book is unequivocally endorsed and highly recommended to corporate leaders and stakeholders, including board members, managers, shareholders, employees as well as scholars and students in the social sciences, law, and the trained legal mind. Indeed, its fascination and central relevance is applicable to all social and business organizations and interest groups, and therefore a tremendous asset and must read for these target groups. Professor Margaret Okorodudu-Fubara

Nojeem A. Amodu is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA), Department of Commercial Law of the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. He also holds an appointment as a Research Associate in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) School of Law, University of London, United Kingdom.