By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with 19 Nigerian universities and the Federal Government, on Tuesday launched the Behavioural Insights Research and Design Lab (BIRDLab), the first of its kind in the country, to apply behavioural science in improving child health, nutrition, and education.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja, brings together UNICEF, the Federal Ministries of Health, Information and National Orientation, and leading universities under the Network for Behavioural Research on Child Survival in Nigeria (NETBRECSIN).
According to UNICEF, BIRDLab will generate practical evidence to support federal and state programmes, including routine immunisation, nutrition services, and school enrolment campaigns while findings will be converted into tools, policy briefs, and guidelines that government teams can scale across communities.
The Lab, with a dedicated hub at the University of Lagos, will also run online and will offer short courses, mentorship, and field practice for programme managers to integrate behavioural insights into planning, budgeting, and service delivery.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, said the Lab would help address real barriers faced by families in decisions relating to vaccination, feeding, and education.
“If we study what shapes these choices, we can design better solutions with communities to improve children’s lives,” she stated.
UNICEF noted that they would through the initiative with their partners aim to strengthen South-South cooperation and ensure Nigerian-led behavioural research informs national policy for child survival and development.
