The First Bank Sustainability Centre of The Lagos Business School organised a Breakfast Meeting for Sustainability and CSR professionals in Nigeria on Thursday, 25th of February 2016.
Dr Uwem Ite, a seasoned CSR/Sustainability practitioner who is currently the External Relations Adviser at The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria was the guest speaker who took us through on “The State of CSR/Sustainability Practices and Professional Development”. With the aid of three decades’ experience, Dr. Ite engaged us with lively discussions on the history, current state and future of Nigerian CSR/Sustainability practices. By clearly spelling out the different dimensions of sustainability and the several ways in which these dimensions interact, Dr. Ite succinctly highlighted trends in Corporate Social Responsibility practice for participants.
Part of the discussions included the Emergence of a New and Highly Influential Generation of Sustainability Enthusiasts, the current perception of Sustainability and CSR as an integral part of any business’s strategy and the Importance of Co-operation between the Public and Private Sectors in achieving Sustainable Development, amongst other issues.
In discussing avenues for professional development within CSR/Sustainability practice, much emphasis was placed on self-development- the need to clearly define individual perspectives, to improve upon pre-existing knowledge and constantly challenge the status quo. This subject of professional development sparked an animated interactive session moderated by Dr. Ijeoma Nwagwu, Centre Manager of the First Bank Sustainability Centre, Lagos Business School.
At the end of the event, the overall reaction from participants at the breakfast meeting was one of deep satisfaction and a sense of responsibility towards improving the status of CSR/Sustainability practice within Nigerian business practice. Both participants and organisers agreed that there was need to host more sessions like this from time to time.
The meeting concluded with a networking breakfast session.