Get the Nod of Your Company’s Most Sceptical Internal Critics with this Tactic  

Your sustainability initiative is brilliant. It’s aligned with the UN SDGs, it will create positive community impact, and it will enhance your brand reputation. You’ve presented it with passion, only to be met with a wall of resistance. The Head of Finance asks about the “ROI.” The Head of Operations complains about “disrupting our core process.” The Legal Counsel mutters about “unnecessary reputational risk.”

Sound familiar?

Honestly, your most significant challenges often aren’t in the field with the community. They are actually in the conference room with your colleagues. These internal sceptics are not your enemies. Often, they are diligent professionals protecting what they see as the company’s core interests: Profit, Efficiency and Stability.

However, their scepticism can derail even the most well-intentioned projects. The key to success lies not in bypassing them, but in strategically identifying, understanding, and winning them over.

Why the Resistance? Mapping the Nigerian Corporate Landscape

To engage your critics, you must first understand their motivations. In the Nigerian context, this is often shaped by unique pressures.

1.         The CFO/Head of Finance (The “Naira and Kobo” Gatekeeper):

o          Their Mantra: “Show me the return. How does this affect our bottom line?”

o          The Nigerian Context: They operate in a volatile economy with inflation, currency fluctuations, and shareholder pressure. They see a CSR budget as a cost centre, not an investment. A vague promise of “long-term brand equity” doesn’t pay the quarterly bills. They need to see a direct link to cost savings, risk mitigation, or revenue generation.

2.         The Head of Operations (The “No Nonsense” Realist):

o          Their Mantra: “Will this slow down my production line? Do my staff have the capacity for this?”

o          The Nigerian Context: They are battling infrastructure challenges from erratic power supply to poor road networks. Their key performance indicator (KPI) is output. Any new initiative that complicates their already complex logistics, like segregating waste for recycling or training staff on new ethical protocols, is seen as a threat to their targets. Remember the Operations Head at a Lagos factory who said, “You want me to worry about recycling when I’m struggling to keep the generators on?”

3.         The Legal Counsel (The “Abeg, Let’s Avoid Trouble” Counsel):

o          Their Mantra: “What are the liabilities? Could this attract negative attention from regulators or the press?”

o          The Nigerian Context: They are hyper-aware of the complex regulatory environment and the potent power of social media backlash. A community development project that goes wrong can lead to lawsuits, negative headlines in Punch or Sahara Reporters, and inquiries from NASS. Their primary job is to shield the company from risk, and any unproven, external-facing activity sets off their alarm bells.

CSR REPORTERS Practical 4-Step Plan to Win Over Skeptics

Stop selling your sustainability idea and start solving their business problems. Here’s how:

Step 1: Identify and Empathize (Do Your Intelligence)

Don’t wait for the big meeting. Map your internal stakeholders.

•          Who holds the purse strings? (Finance)

•          Who executes on the ground? (Operations)

•          Who signs off on risk? (Legal)

•          Who has the CEO’s ear? (Often all three)

Schedule one-on-one informal chats. Don’t pitch. Listen. Ask questions like:

•          “From your perspective in Finance, what are the biggest financial pressures on the company this year?”

•          “Operations, what’s the single biggest bottleneck you’re facing in achieving your targets?”

•          “Legal, what kind of regulatory issues are keeping you up at night?”

Step 2: Reframe Your Pitch: Speak Their Language

Now, translate your sustainability initiative into a solution for their problems. Use a “This is Not Just That, This is Also That” framework.

•          To the Nigerian CFO, don’t say: “This plastic recycling project is good for the environment.”

•          Instead, say: “This plastic recycling project is not just about the environment. It is also a cost-saving and potential revenue-generating initiative. By collecting PET waste, we can reduce our waste disposal fees paid to LAWMA. Furthermore, we are exploring partnerships with companies like Chanja Datti or Wecyclers, who may pay for our baled plastic. Here is a simple cost-benefit analysis I’ve drafted.”

•          To the Nigerian Head of Operations, don’t say: “We need to implement ethical sourcing audits for our suppliers.”

•          Instead, say: “This ethical sourcing initiative is not just about ethics, it is also about supply chain resilience and quality control. By ensuring our suppliers in Aba or Kano meet international labour standards, we reduce the risk of production halts due to strikes, boycotts, or negative exposés. It’s about securing and stabilizing our supply chain, which is core to your KPIs.”

•          To the Nigerian Legal Counsel, don’t say: “We want to be more transparent in our reporting.”

•          Instead, say: “Pursuing this third-party sustainability certification (like ISO 14001) is not just about transparency, it is also about proactive risk management and regulatory compliance. It provides a documented framework to show regulators like NESREA that we are exceeding standards. This is a defensive shield against future, more stringent regulations and potential litigation.”

Step 3: Co-Create and Share Ownership

Scepticism melts when a critic becomes a co-owner. Invite them in.

•          Ask the Finance Head to nominate someone to help track the financial metrics of the pilot project.

•          Ask the Operations Head to help design the implementation plan so it causes minimal disruption.

•          Ask the Legal Counsel to review and refine the community engagement MOU before you sign it.

When the Head of Operations says, “My team helped design this,” it is no longer “your” project; it is “our” project.

Step 4: Start Small, Show Quick Wins, and Celebrate Their Contribution

Don’t bet the farm on a massive, multi-million Naira project from day one. Propose a small-scale, low-risk pilot project with a short timeline.

•          Example: Instead of rolling out a full-scale employee volunteering programme, start with a single, half-day community clean-up or a tree-planting event at a local school. Collect data: hours volunteered, positive employee feedback, local media mentions.

After the pilot, present the results in a way that highlights the contributions of your former sceptics. In your report, say: “Thanks to the operational efficiency designed by the Operations team, the event ran smoothly with no disruption to work schedules. The cost-benefit model validated by Finance showed a net-positive impact on employee morale, a non-financial ROI.” CC them and their boss on the success email.

From Roadblock to Champion

The sceptical Head of Finance, Operations, or Legal in your Nigerian company is not a barrier to your success, they are the key to it. They provide the rigour, practicality, and risk-awareness that turns a well-meaning idea into a durable, integrated, and truly sustainable business practice.

By taking the time to understand their world, speaking their language, and inviting them to the table, you don’t just get your project approved. You build powerful internal alliances that will champion your cause long after the first project is done. You stop being the “tree-hugger” in the corner and start being the strategic business partner who delivers value for the company, the community, and the environment.