UNILAG, UNICEF, Others Inaugurate BIRD Lab to Drive Behavioural Research, Others

Funmi Ogundare

The University of Lagos (UNILAG), through its College of Medicine, yesterday inaugurated a new Behavioural Insights Research and Design Laboratory ( BIRD Lab) aimed at shaping policies and programs across Nigeria; and advancing child and maternal wellbeing.
The initiative, hosted in partnership with the Network of Behavioural Research for Child Survival in Nigeria (NETBRECSIN), UNICEF Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and other development partners, is designed as a collaborative hub for generating evidence, testing innovations, and scaling behavioural science solutions.
Speaking at the launch, in Lagos, the Chairperson of NETBRECSIN, Prof. Bayo Onajole, described the lab as an inclusive, collaborative space to share experiences, connect, and inspire others through innovative behavioural science.” He noted that the facility, modeled after a leading behavioural insights lab in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will serve as a platform to design and test strategies that produce meaningful and measurable results for children.”
Prof. Onajole emphasised that the project stems from the belief that transformative change begins with a single idea nurtured by vision and commitment. He credited the team of experts and partners for bringing their passion, creativity, and expertise to the table, stressing that their dedication had laid the foundation for lasting impact.
“No project of this scale can succeed in isolation,” he said, expressing gratitude to stakeholders, sponsors, and supporters for their unwavering belief in the mission.
Speaking with journalists, UNICEF’s Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Rownak Khan, underscored the importance of community-driven insights in shaping social programs, adding that the initiative would help policymakers and practitioners understand how communities perceive and respond to government and partner-led programs. She noted that it would also enable adjustments that improve the impact and sustainability of interventions.
“Despite putting in effort and resources, programs are not always 100 per cent successful,” Khan explained. “This research will help us understand community perception, behavioral motivations, and challenges, so that programs can truly achieve their goals.”
The University of Lagos, she noted, was chosen as a key partner for the initiative due to its reputation as one of Nigeria’s most renowned academic institutions.
Khan expressed deep appreciation for the university’s support, noting that UNILAG provided not only the venue for the hub but also a conducive environment for young researchers to thrive.
“What makes UNILAG unique is that we now have a physical space where young researchers can come together, conduct studies, and contribute meaningfully to evidence-based solutions,” she added.
While highlighting the collaboration, Khan stressed that the effort extends beyond Lagos. “We are working with many universities. In fact, 19 universities are currently part of this initiative under NETBRECSIN. UNILAG is one of them, but the uniqueness here is the availability of a dedicated space for research.”
Provost of the College of Medicine, UNILAG, Prof. Ademola Oremosu who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, emphasised that the initiative seeks to improve health outcomes by going beyond hospital-based care to address the cultural and social factors that influence behavior.
“We want to see how we can modify behaviors in ways that lead to better health outcomes,” Oremosu explained. “Communities, mothers, their beliefs and practices are central. As the saying goes, you don’t shave a man’s head behind him , the community must be involved.”
He recalled that the Bird Lab which began in 2011 with support from UNICEF, is part of a wider consortium now involving 19 universities across Nigeria. It aims to generate evidence-based insights that can drive improvements in areas such as maternal and child health, nutrition, and immunisation coverage.
According to Oremosu, the program’s impact will be measured using key health indices, including reductions in maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, as well as improvements in immunisation coverage for communicable diseases under the National Program on Immunisation.
UNICEF’s Chief of Social Behaviour Change ( SBC), Kshitij Joshi, described the BIRD Lab as more than a physical space, but as a concept and an approach where students, academics, the private sector, media, and civil society can collaborate to better understand what drives people’s behaviors in Nigeria.
“This is not just about Lagos or UNILAG,” the UNICEF representative said. “It’s a flag-off. We’ll have similar BIRD Labs in other universities as well. The lab provides a platform for the right minds to collaborate and contribute to solving issues ranging from health to education, sanitation, and beyond.”
The initiative, he noted, is already influencing policymaking in Nigeria, adding that data collected by graduate and postgraduate students is reviewed by professors and converted into policy briefs that guide government decisions.
” The Federal Ministry of Health, for instance, has provided a dedicated space for integrating findings from the BIRD Lab into national health policy development and advocacy,” he said, adding that the BIRD Lab seeks to provide evidence that will make interventions more effective, whether delivered by government, civil society, or even private companies designing products for Nigerian households.
“This is about understanding people , their motivations, practices, and choices, so that the services and programs reaching them are better aligned with their realities,” the UNICEF official explained.