Neoliberal Governmentality, Corporate Responsibility, and the Governing of Citizens in Nigeria: The case of ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron

摘要

This thesis investigates how oil corporations in Nigeria govern citizens through the implementation of certain corporate responsibility initiatives. The examination of ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron, and how each corporation governs individuals through various capacity-building initiatives will be discussed. From a governmentality perspective, this thesis examines how, under neoliberalism, private actors utilize certain governance u27u27techniquesu27u27 that render individuals to be responsible and self-sufficient. By focussing on the u27u27responsibilizationu27u27 of Nigerian citizens, the oil corporations have minimized their own responsibility to respect the environment, life-styles, forms of subsistence, and human rights of the population effected by their oil explorations. This thesis concludes that the various capacity-building projects undertaken by ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron in order to govern Nigerian citizens, with their focus on building self-sufficiency and responsibility, have been indicative of the shifting power relations within the modern era of governance.