The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with 19 leading universities and the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, has launched the Behavioural Insights Research and Design Lab, BIRDLab, the first of its kind in Nigeria, to apply Behavioural Science to child survival and development.
The initiative builds on UNICEF’s partnership with academia through the Network for Behavioural Research on Child Survival in Nigeria, NETBRECSIN, which includes Community Medicine, Communication Studies, Sociology, Human Nutrition, Anthropology, and Clinical Psychology.
BIRDLab is a partnership between UNICEF, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and participating universities. It will produce practical evidence for federal and state programmes, including routine immunisation, nutrition services, and back-to-school efforts. Findings will be turned into simple tools, policy notes, and guidance that government teams can use at scale.
The Lab will also offer short courses, mentoring, and field practice for social and behaviour change units and programme managers in government, so that behavioural insights are built into planning, budgeting, and delivery. Evidence from the Lab will inform federal and state strategies, ensuring solutions are led by Nigerian institutions and meet community needs.
BIRDLab will operate online, while also maintaining a dedicated space at the University of Lagos. This will provide a place for researchers and practitioners to work together on real problems and test what works.
UNICEF will set research themes linked to its programme priorities for graduate students to study as part of their coursework. Studies may include trials, observational work, long term follow ups, and content analysis.
“BIRDLab helps us understand why people make the choices they do, and that makes our programmes more effective and respectful,” said Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “If we study what shapes decisions on vaccination, feeding practices, or school enrolment, we can work with communities to fix the real barriers. This partnership with Nigerian universities and government will help more children get vaccinated, eat better, and learn.”
Through BIRDLab, UNICEF and partners aim to strengthen South South cooperation and use behavioural science to guide national policies and programmes, improving the lives of children and families across Nigeria.
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