Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the promise by business organizations to behave in a way that is ethically
acceptable and at the same time contributing to the economic development and improvement of the living
conditions of the employees, the catchment community and the larger society. Small and medium scale enterprises
(SMEs) can serve as the engine room for corporate social responsibility in developing countries, like Nigeria, since
a high proportion of economic activity is generated through them. Hotel industry, belonging to this group has
expanded rapidly since the return to democratic rule in 1999 primarily due to government’s interest in tourism
development. Such expansion of the hotel industry calls for an enquiry into how socially responsible its activities
are. Hence, this study explored the corporate social responsibility of the hotel industry in Nigeria. Primarily, the
study made use of quantitative data obtained though questionnaire administered on the management officers in
these hotels. It was found out that corporate social responsibility practices are minimal and at an informal level. It
is recommended that corporate social responsibility should be embraced by the small and medium scale enterprises
in order to fast track the country’s overall development.

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