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Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on gender in the facets of palm oil value chain in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts an explanatory research design using both descriptive and inferential statistics to answer the four research questions. We generated cross-sectional primary data from a sample of 1200 women selected from the nine states of Niger Delta region using multiple sampling techniques. Findings - Results from the estimation of a logit model and use of propensity score matching to determine the mean difference between variables in the treatment and control show that significant efforts have been made by the MOCs’ through their CSR in the areas that will help the women compete favourably in the oil palm value chain. Research limitations/implications – This study implies that MOCs’ CSR interventions that enhanced women acquisition of improved mechanised meals, accompanied by awareness creation and demonstration of value of improved processing technologies and practices to female processors will lift many women out of poverty in the Niger Delta.  Social implications – This implies that fostering gender access to credit through GMoU interventions will improve extraction efficiency of female primary processors and enhance linkages between women producers/processors and large mills in palm oil value chain deliveries in the Niger Delta. Originality/value – This research contributes to gender debate in the agricultural value chain from a CSR perspective in developing countries and rationale for demand for social projects by host communities. It concludes that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern.