The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday in Lagos officially launched a research and development laboratory of behavior insights (Bird-Lab) for Nigeria and domiciled at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Idi-Araba.
The Bird-Lab, which is the second in Africa after Ethiopia in Addis Abeba, is a multidisciplinary network dedicated to taking advantage of the power of social and behavioral ideas in the Survival and Child Development program in Nigeria.
The Global Agency launched the laboratory in collaboration with the Nigerian universities, both public and private, and the Federal Ministries of Health and Information.
No less than 19 universities, including Unilag; the University of Ibadan; University of Maiduguri, Borno; University of Bayero, Kano; State University of Lagos, Eye; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Yakubu Gowon University (previously University of Abuja); Universidad de Chrisland, Abeokuta; Ahmadu Bello University, Tsaria; University of Benin; And the University of Jos, have already connected to the project, and is expected to join more later.
Speaking at the launch, the representative of the UNICEF country in Nigeria, Mrs. Wafa Saeed, emphasized the importance of the Research Center for Nigeria, saying: “It is really a platform to transform our collective work for children.”
According to her, “UNICEF’s mandate is to support member states and communities to ensure that children are not only improving in life, but also reach their maximum potential as they become adulthood.”
Mrs. Saeed observed that understanding how humans think, decide and act is essential to achieve the Unicef ​​mandate.
“And that is why everything we do begins and ends with the children,” he emphasized.
By pointing out that Nigeria de Laboratio de Aves is expected to gather brilliant minds of fields such as medicine, psychology, sociology, nutrition and communication, the Chief of UNICEF, who spoke virtually, explained that collaboration and innovation would lead to an evidence -based research that will provide the direction of government policies and programs towards the total well -being of children, regardless of children.
He added: “The research center, which will combine the virtual and physical interface for researchers, would allow us to ask the right questions, get a better understanding and then cook with children and the community to provide children -centered solutions.”
Mrs. Saeed praised the network for behavioral research on child survival in Nigeria (Netbrecsin), which is coordinating the project, as well as the Federal Ministries of Health and Information and Unilag to collectively organize the first Bird Lab on the site in the country.
She said: “Collaboration is an incredible commitment oriented to transform collective work to ensure that children survive and thrive in life.
“Then, in UNICEF, we are excited about this movement and totally committed to him. Postgraduate students in tertiary institutions will be able to work on real -time programmatic challenges to contribute to solutions and at the same time follow their careers.
“For us in UNICEF, we firmly believe that investing in children is investing in the country and in the future and prosperity of the nation, and it is our collective responsibility,” Saeed concluded.
In his comments, the country’s deputy representative, Unicef ​​Nigeria, Rownak Khan, who was physically present at the launch, said that Bird-Lab is loved by UNICEF’s heart due to its expected impact, especially in children and women.
She stressed its importance, noting that the Research Center would allow experts and young students to conduct research on social issues related to health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education and more.
“We want to know why people really behave in a certain way, and why the programs that are being presented by the Government and also by the development partners do not have 100% successful in some cases despite all the effort and the great resources that are put on them,” he said.
“Therefore, the research center will help us understand the perception of the community, the understanding of the community, their motivation of behavior and that will actually allow political and professionals to make adjustments in the programming towards children.
He added that having no less than 19 universities already on board, with many more expected, is a great joy for UNICEF.
In his direction, the Vice Chancellor of Unilag, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, represented by his deputy in charge of the development services, Professor Afolabi Lesi, expressed his confidence in the success of the project, citing three key reasons.
According to her, the project will succeed not only because it is multidisciplinary (sociologists, psychologists, doctors and other experts), but also because it has a national perspective and a government participation.
The Vice Chancellor promised the University’s commitment to the project by supporting it with resources at his disposal.
In his opening comments, a former leading medical director of Luth, Professor Akin Osibogun, who presided over the event, expressed his delight for the establishment of the Research Center in Nigeria, saying that he would greatly help stop the high rate of maternal and child mortality in the country and throughout Africa.
He regretted that while developed countries have constantly reduced maternal and child mortality rates to a single digit, the case of African countries, including Nigeria, remains a great burden.
He said that it was why any initiative capable of changing narration and substantially reducing children’s and maternal deaths to the smallest minimum must be accepted and supported.
Also read: Gateway International Airport to revolutionize the transport system – Ogun Commissioner
According to him, people’s behavior is an important factor behind the crisis, therefore, the focus of the behavior research center is in the right direction.
By throwing more light on the project, the Chief of Change of Social Behavior of UNICEF, Kshitij Joshi, described Bird-Lab as more than an installation, but an approach that unites universities, civil society, the media and the private sector to understand the behaviors.
According to him, the platform provides various experience to address health challenges to education and sanitation, focusing on behavioral sciences.
Joshi pointed out that teachers are reviewed by the data generated by the students, trained in policy reports and used by government agencies to strengthen interventions.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health had dedicated space to integrate bird laboratory findings into national policies, aligning services with people’s realities for greater impact.
He said the launch was only the beginning, since more bird laboratories are expected to surround later in other universities throughout the country.
Also read the main stories of Nigerian Tribune
Watch the best Nigerian Tribune TV videos