In recent years, the practice of corporate social responsibility by organisations has been a controversial topic for debate. In the past two weeks, I had lectures on this topic delivered by Prof Ralph Tench a principal lecturer of public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.

Organisations engage in CSR to impact on the society in which they operate. Looking at the UN Global Compact’s ten principles , organisations have to put into considerations certain principles in their operations. Company behaviour is said to be responsible when organisations are ethical in their operations, value and respect their employees and stakeholders, obey the laws of the society in which they operate, and being profitable not at any cost.

Company behaviour is irresponsible when employees are exploited; making profits by all means at the expense of environmental degradation, harm and loss of life, sometimes these acts can be intentional or unintentional. Speaking of Nigeria, there has been the case of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the Nigerian government. Pfizer according to reports, tested the experimental antibiotic Trovafloxacin in Kano state during an outbreak of meningitis which affected thousands in 1996, without the approval of the Nigerian regulatory agencies and proper verbal consent from parents, this led to deformities and death in young Nigerian children.

My question is did Pfizer act responsible or irresponsible? This is because Pfizer claimed to have been on a humanitarian mission to Kano state and had the approval of the federal government which the latter denied vehemently. Where they being ethical in their operations? Did they forget that they were dealing with human beings and not animals? Reports also say that the use of Trovan was approved by adults in the United States but not for children. Why was it then tested on vulnerable Nigerian children? Like Akin Akintayo  said, Pfizer, we are not lab rats.

In my opinion, Pfizer’s behaviour was irresponsible though it seemed their actions were unintentional, they erred in their moral, ethical and social responsibility. However, It is good when organisations engage in CSR, they should not use it as an avenue to cover their irresponsibilities.