Edo State Govt, UNICEF renew commitment on Child, Women-Centred Development
3 min read
By Ebuanekpe Joy
A two-day Capacity Building Workshop for members of the Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) Committee has officially concluded in Benin City, with renewed commitment from the Edo State Government, UNICEF and other key stakeholders to strengthen community-led interventions that advance the wellbeing of children and women across the State.
The workshop, which held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in Benin City, from 19th to 20th November, 2025, brought together policymakers, communication experts, programme officers and grassroot advocates in an engaging and learning environment.
Declaring the event open, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Dr. Peter Osagie, commended the SBC Committee for its role in reinforcing institutions that promote good governance and enhance public trust in government programmes. He emphasized that equipping Committee members with the required skills is essential as the State prepares to implement structured behavioural change initiatives in communities.
Earlier in her remark, the SBC Committee Programme Director, Mrs. Rose Imonikhe, noted that the workshop was initially scheduled for May, following the inauguration of the Committee in February, 2025, reminding participants that the Committee’s mandate is centred on addressing issues affecting children and women. According to her, the successful completion of the Workshop sets the stage for the Committee to fully commence operations.
Representative of UNICEF, SBC Specialist and Field Officer, Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, delivered a presentation on the evolution of Communication for Development (C4D) into the much broader Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) framework. She explained that SBC goes beyond communication, focusing on understanding the motives behind human behaviour, creating enabling environments, and ensuring that interventions are both community-led and human-centred.
Akinwole highlighted key tools used in driving behavioural change to include advocacy, community engagement, social mobilisation, edutainment, theatre-for-development and media campaigns. She further stressed the need for continuous feedback, supported by data, to ensure that interventions are effective and responsive to community needs.
Discussions during the workshop emphasized the importance of crafting messages that are tailored to specific audiences, using local languages, amplifying community voices and deploying experts during media engagements. Participants were also encouraged to integrate security considerations into SBC planning, particularly in vulnerable or conflict-prone communities where communication strategies must be carefully adapted.
A major highlight of the workshop was the exploration of four modern SBC strategies including Gamification, Positive Deviance, Collective Change and Behavioural Insights. Through practical illustrations, participants were exposed to how Gamification uses non-material motivational techniques such as points, badges and milestone recognition to inspire consistent behavioural change. They also examined Positive Deviance as a method that identifies individuals already practicing healthy behaviours despite facing similar constraints as others, enabling communities to learn from within.
The Collective Change Strategy, which focuses on shifting social norms and transforming communities collectively, also received strong attention. Participants discussed how role modelling, peer influence, group commitments and community dialogues can reshape attitudes on sensitive issues such as child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), trafficking and infant feeding practices. The session on Behavioural Insights rounded off the training, explaining how psychology, behavioural economics and social science can be used to identify hidden barriers to desired behaviours and design interventions such as nudges, reminders and simplified processes that make healthy choices easier and more attractive.
At the end of the two-day workshop, participants expressed confidence that the knowledge gained would significantly enhance their ability to design, implement and evaluate community-driven SBC interventions. The engagement ended with a strong call for accountability, sustained collaboration and sincere commitment as Edo State moves forward in its mission to improve the lives of children, women and the vulnerable population through strategic and inclusive behavioural change programmes.
Ebuanekpe Joy
Public Relations Officer
JOOPSA
PHOTO CAPTION
Participants at the two-day capacity building engagement coordinated by the Edo State Social Behaviour Change Committee at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in Benin City.
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