Nigeria’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has expressed support for the 2020 Corporate Sustainable Investor Report (CSIR), a research document that discloses the sustainability activities of companies in Nigeria.
With a vision to be the one-stop report for analytical and material sustainability data for companies of all sizes in Nigeria, the CSIR is a multi-stakeholder developed report – led by the CSR-in-Action Advocacy, foremost African sustainability advocacy and consulting firm. It takes into primary cognisance, the local business milieu in Nigeria and Africa at large. The first of its kind in the country, the information in the CSIR has been methodically grouped under 7 key performance indices, namely: Human Rights and Decent Labour, Innovation, Ethical Economics, Stakeholder Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability and Sustainability Management.
With sustainability emerging as a core component of business strategy for efficient and dynamic corporate organizations, social investment frameworks like the CSIR have become vital tools for driving sustainable development.
“I strongly believe that sound public policy on trade and investment in Nigeria will provide the foundation for the establishment of key economic and industrial projects that will lead to substantive transformation”
“I deeply appreciate the development of this Corporate Sustainable Investment Report which encourages sustainable and ethical business practices. I am certain that it will contribute significantly to enhancing the investment ecosystem and encouraging businesses to adopt the right practices that will empower Nigerians.”
Since the launch of the first edition in 2012 at the 17th Nigerian Economic Summit (NESG) with former Director General, NESG, Frank Nweke Junior, Chairman of Heirs Holding, Tony Elumelu OON, the Corporate Sustainable Investor Report has become a one-stop resource for all sustainability and business practitioners interested in Nigeria to assess the values and social responsibility priorities of major Nigerian businesses; view emerging trends within industries that reflect their specific sustainability concerns; get an overview of Nigeria’s current position in the journey of sustainability; and inculcate the culture of transparency through reporting.
“Now in its 4th edition, the CSIR continues to get bigger and better every year. Besides being a tool of reference for government, regulators and investors concerned with sustainable business practices in Nigeria, the CSIR also provides a platform for corporate organizations in Nigeria to project themselves as sustainable corporate brands”
According to Bekeme Masade, the 2020 CSIR has been independently developed, tailored to suit the local milieu and its challenges, totally unbiased and the ranking criteria were well structured and thought-out, using a diverse team of stakeholders.
To be included in the CSIR, corporate organizations need to meet two out of the four prerequisites. These include the possession of a standard, annual and publicly available CSR/ sustainability report, listing on the Nigerian Stocks Exchange (NSE), annual revenue of N500 million, and business existence for four years.
About CSR- in- Action
CSR-in-Action is a conglomerate of 3 sustainability driven businesses: Consulting, Training and Advocacy. Its mission is to redefine the sustainability terrain in Africa, through collaborative strategies with stakeholders aimed at attaining higher levels of corporate governance, workplace and sustainable philanthropy. The organization has a clear vision to propel collective transformation in Africa by promoting responsibility amongst all ernes in their day-to-day individual or business activities.