Background

Behavioural Innovation Lab

Behavioural Innovation Lab

The Behavioural Innovation Lab (BIL) is an initiative of the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) within the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. The PIC is the first national institutionalized behavioural initiative in Africa supporting government and stakeholders to make behaviourally-informed decisions and generate evidence for impact-driven interventions in critical thematic areas (Governance, Health, Gender & Social Inclusion, Education, Digital & Financial Inclusion).  

We embed a three-pronged strategy:  

  • Diagnostics with a behavioural focus.  

  • Design with a human-centred approach. 

  • Delivery with sustainable and contextually relevant approaches. 

 

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Behavioural Insights for Programs and Public Policy 

Since 2009, the use of knowledge and lessons from the social and behavioural sciences has spread globally as a key tool in public policy. Currently, over 400 entities exist globally that have institutionalized BI in and with governments and public institutions on every continent. 

While projects using BI have been implemented in Africa there are still very few national-level institutionalized capacities to conduct such work with local partners; the PIC is pioneering this initiative in Africa. 

 

Projects  

'Harnessing Behavioural Insight to Improve Transparency in Nigeria' (2021-2024) 

Funded by the MacArthur Foundation, this project is building an ecosystem of state and non-state actors with the capacity and capability to drive behaviourally informed anticorruption reforms across sectors in NigeriaThe project also seeks to strengthen the capacity of transparency, governance, and accountability organizations in Nigeria through a learning series and the implementation of hands-on behavioural interventions. We host several design workshops year-long for corporates and development practitioners, as well as government stakeholders.  

 

Addressing Voter Apathy and Vote Selling Behaviour in the 2023 Elections in Lagos and Nassarawa States; an RCT Intervention 

In January 2023, the PIC conducted a Randomized Control Study titled ’Addressing Voter Apathy and Vote Selling Behaviour in the 2023 Elections in Lagos and Nassarawa States’. The objective of the RCT was to determine the social and contextual drivers of voter apathy and vote selling in selected states of Nigeria, Additionally the RCT was to determine the extent to which behavioural change interventions (specialized outreaches, text messaging) could reduce voter apathy and vote selling among targeted community members.  

Behavioural Economics for Financial Product Design (2023) 

The PIC supports several initiatives in the financial product design and digital financial services ecosystem. Our mandate is to apply behavioural insights to improve the design of digital financial products and services, and stimulate user enrolment and uptake. Recently, we provided technical support and advisement in embedding behavioural economics modules in the curriculum of a leading business school. We directly facilitated the delivery of financial products that meet consumer needs and address the financial inclusion goals of the FSPs.  

 

At the PIC, our Behavioural Innovation Lab (BIL) utilizes lessons from behavioural and social sciences to design, test and scale solutions for social impact. Working with a diverse and dynamic team of designers, behavioural scientists, academics, researchers, gender advisors, policy specialists and program implementers, the BIL adopts a data-driven, human-centred approach to testing and delivering contextually relevant, cost-effective solutions to critical development priorities.