By Chidi Omeje
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has evolved into a pivotal component of modern corporate governance, transcending traditional business practices to encompass a broader commitment to societal well-being. Today, most forward-thinking organizations allocate a significant portion of their annual budgets to CSR initiatives in recognition of the intrinsic value of giving back to the community.
This paradigm shift is not limited to the corporate world; the military, too, has come to realize the importance of CSR in fostering positive relationships with the communities they serve. The Nigerian Army, in particular, has a robust history of embracing CSR principles by prioritizing civil-military relations and community engagement.
Under the leadership of the current Chief of Army Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, the Nigerian Army is building on this legacy, with ambitious plans to strengthen civil-military ties through a community relations approach. General Oluyede’s commitment to CSR is evident in his reaffirmation of the Nigerian Army’s dedication to tackling security challenges through non-kinetic strategies while enhancing the well-being of host communities.
The Nigerian Army is not just waking up to this realization; in fact, it can rightly be described as one of the oldest champions and practitioners of CSR, having been emphasizing positive civil-military relations over the years. The Nigerian Army’s dedication to CSR in form of quick-impact projects and programmes serves as a shining example of the military’s capacity to adapt and prioritize the needs of the community while maintaining their primary mandate of national security. With a wide range of initiatives, the Army is making a significant positive impact on Nigerian society.
One key area of focus is crisis management and emergency response. The Army plays a critical role in managing riots, sectarian conflicts, and violent crime, as well as leading search and rescue operations during disasters. These interventions might not be its primary responsibility, but they are essential given that they help to maintain peace and security and also save countless lives.
In addition to its crisis management efforts, the Army is also invested in education and healthcare. The establishment of military educational institutions, hospitals, and other health facilities across the country is a testament to this commitment. These institutions provide vital services to both military personnel and civilians, helping to bridge the gap in access to quality education and healthcare.
The Army is also working to build stronger relationships with local communities through various social and recreational initiatives. For example, military establishments have opened their facilities to the public, hosting events and activities that promote cultural exchange and understanding. The famous “mammy markets” in military establishments also provide opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurs to sell their wares, boosting local economies.
The Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) is another shining example of the Army’s commitment to CSR. Through its various initiatives, including the establishment of maternity homes, clinics, and event centers, NAOWA is making a real difference in the lives of Nigerians.
Furthermore, the Nigerian Army is playing a vital role in leadership and citizenship training, particularly through its cadet programs and partnership with the National Youth Service Corps. These initiatives help to develop the skills and character of young Nigerians, preparing them for leadership roles in the future.
In spite of the above-listed sterling contributions to the advancement of Nigerian society, the Nigerian Army, once in a while, is still confronted with harsh reviews and unsavory media trials. This is essentially because the military, as a matter of constitutional obligation, is constantly involved in internal security management, and this has been a recurring engagement given the harvest of internal conflicts that have bedeviled the country since independence. It therefore means that it must also be challenged by how it can effectively manage its relationships and interactions with the civilian population, particularly the communities where it is based or deployed for Internal Security Operation.
While exercising its statutory responsibilities, it is obvious that a certain level of interaction must take place between members of the armed forces and the civil populace, and this is in spite of the fact that both of them possess characteristics that are quite different from each other in terms of organizational structure, orientation, modus operandi, and response to control.
The military is controlled by the political authority and is often deployed to perform roles that involve the use of force and coercion in order to achieve a set objective, like conflict resolution or restoration of peace and security in society. In the course of doing this, a section of the public might kick against their presence for different reasons, which might include a failure on the part of some personnel, being subject to human imperfections, may be accused of bias or excessive use of force. On the other hand, cases abound where there is obvious provocation of military personnel in operation by the civilian community.
Suffice it to say that the source of friction, mutual distrust, and suspicion that occur in the course of this inevitable interaction between the civilians and the military in a particular milieu of operation, could be located in either side of the divide.
What is important, however, is to find an effective way of ‘winning hearts and minds’ with a view to evolving better relations between civilians and the military for the good of our nation and people. The task of obtaining, growing, and sustaining cooperation and support is however, a difficult one that requires members of the armed forces to proactively respect and be subject to the imperatives of the rule of law, transparency and accountability, and respect for human rights. In addition, they need the skills of effective communication, negotiation, and conflict management to complement the other efforts in the war to win hearts and minds. This is the essence of the community relations approach.
The approach underscores the fundamentality of human rights, rule of law, transparency, accountability, and effective communications. Equally, it emphasizes the importance of negotiation and conflict management skills to community relations in particular and civil-military relations in general. The whole idea is to win the hearts and minds of the Nigerian people, and that is very crucial in the successful prosecution of internal security operations.
- Chidi Omeje is the Publisher, Security Digest (www.securitydigestng.com)
