In the wake of the devastating Mouka flood disaster in Niger State, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, respected statesman and Chairman of the Red Carpet Protocol Group, has issued a clarion call to the Nigerian private sector: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) must evolve from token gestures to tangible national impact.
Describing the recent flooding—which left at least 153 people dead, thousands displaced, and critical infrastructure damaged—as a tragic wake-up call, Onaiwu challenged corporations to act not as bystanders, but as partners in the nation’s survival.
“CSR is not about good optics or annual reports,” Onaiwu said. “It is a moral obligation. It’s about standing up for the people who power your profits when their lives are washed away.”
He made the remarks following UNICEF’s confirmation that among the over 3,000 displaced are more than 1,600 children under the age of 12 and about 380 lactating mothers. Roads and bridges linking major economic routes through Mokwa have collapsed, disrupting trade and food distribution in a region already battling inflation.
Onaiwu, who served as the pioneering Director-General of the Governors’ Forum, criticized what he described as “the silence of the boardrooms” in the face of widespread suffering.
“This is not a time for corporate silence. When citizens drown, when roads break, when children sleep hungry—businesses must not remain mute. We need companies to not just cut checks, but to cut through the red tape and deliver real solutions.”
He called for the establishment of a Private Sector Emergency Response Fund and a CSR Coalition for Disaster Relief, urging businesses to collectively mobilize resources, engineers, logistics, and rehabilitation efforts during such emergencies.
“Imagine what Nigeria could achieve if every top 100 company committed just 0.5% of profits to regional disaster response. That’s the kind of leadership we need from industry.”
The Mouka disaster, he added, offers an opportunity for the private sector to redefine its relationship with Nigerian communities—not just as markets, but as shared homes worth protecting.
“Let us rise above profit margins. Let us build a country where compassion is part of the business model.”