Abuja: Some Behavioural Change Experts have called for Nigeria to institutionalise Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) as a core government function, emphasizing the need for dedicated staffing, sustainable financing, and the integration of behavioural evidence into routine planning.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the experts made this appeal during a post-SBCC Summit engagement organized by the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) in Abuja. The engagement followed the recently concluded 2026 International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, offering practitioners a platform to reflect on lessons learned and discuss how SBCC can be strengthened and contextualised within Nigeria’s development and health systems.
Mrs. Foyeke Oyedokun-Adebagbo, a Population Council Expert, noted that Nigeria has made progress in institutionalising some SBCC activities. She emphasized the need to build on existing government structures rather than starting from scratch, as some government institutions already have units dedicated to health education, health promotion, and related communication functions. However, she highlighted that without the necessary authority, staffing, technical resources, and capabilities, these units cannot fully fulfil their mandates.
Oyedokun-Adebagbo stressed the importance of moving beyond institutionalising individual SBCC activities and making SBCC a core government function. She suggested that recruitment practices, job descriptions, and professional development opportunities should equip government personnel with skills beyond producing messages and informational materials. Practitioners also need expertise in behavioural analysis, community listening, and other approaches essential for effective SBCC.
Sustainable financing was identified as another critical component of institutionalisation. Although some states have begun including SBCC-related activities in their budgets, Oyedokun-Adebagbo questioned whether these allocations are predictable, released, and fully utilised. She advocated for stronger investment cases to ensure that budgetary provisions for SBCC are maintained and adequately funded.
The integration of behavioural insight and community-listening data into government planning was also emphasized. Oyedokun-Adebagbo pointed out that while routine health planning uses service, epidemiological, surveillance, and community data, behavioural insight data is not always incorporated. She questioned the absence of behavioural insight data and community listening data in these discussions.
Mr. Samson Odukogbe, Senior Knowledge and Communications Officer at the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), highlighted the need for advocacy to secure stronger political commitment to SBCC, especially as donor funding declines and governments take on greater responsibility for financing development interventions. He urged policymakers to make SBCC an integral part of government planning, programming, budgeting, and sustainability.
Mrs. Halima Buba, Engagement Manager at Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), called for the greater inclusion of unconventional voices in the SBCC ecosystem, particularly young people and community networks. She emphasized the importance of engaging informal structures and networks, such as women’s networks and transport networks, which have valuable access to information during health emergencies and social challenges.
Mr. Bako Kantiok, Programme Manager at CCSI, stressed the importance of collective responsibility and collaboration in strengthening SBCC in Nigeria. He called for creating spaces where government, implementing partners, beneficiaries, and other practitioners can learn, conduct research, and improve interventions together. Kantiok emphasized moving beyond attribution and individual organisational interests to build a collective approach to SBCC.
NAN reports that the experts agreed that stronger government ownership, predictable financing, community participation, evidence use, and collaboration are essential to institutionalising SBCC. These factors are crucial in ensuring that successful interventions continue beyond individual projects and donor funding cycles.