Poverty reduction in resource-rich developing countries: what have multinational corporations got to do with it?

Corporate social responsibility is a two edged-sword. It can be used to address the needs of disadvantaged communities, or to damage the same communities, whether by mistake or design. Based on a critical analysis of the role of both the government and Shell in Nigeria towards poverty alleviation in the Niger Delta, this paper firmly supports the view that even though business and government may share in the responsibility for economic and social development, the primary assignment for business is still wealth creation. The government's main charge is to represent society and to ensure equitable wealth distribution among the various stakeholders. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.