Nigeria’s new Basic Education Curriculum now requires every student to graduate with at least one practical or trade-related skill, a significant step toward expanding learning pathways and economic opportunity for students across the country.

As this reform takes root, one important question emerges: when girls choose a skill, what shapes how free that choice really feels, especially when it goes against social expectations?

In many Nigerian schools:

- Some skills quietly feel “appropriate” for girls

- Others are seen astoo masculine or out of place

- Parents, teachers, and unspoken social norms shape decisions before a girl even speaks.

In this episode of The Norms Lab Podcast, Anjola Ayodele speaks with educationist and Safe Schools expert Blessing Tarfa Mam about:

- What this curriculum reform is working to achieve

- How gender norms shape students’ realities inside classrooms

- What it would actually take for skills education to expand agency for girls

- What gives Blessing hope that things are changing.

Join us as we reimagine what the freedom of choice truly means amongst gender-biased social norms, as the new education curriculum is implemented.

#GenderAndEducation #NormsLabPodcast #educationreform #gendernorms #socialnorms #UBEC #NewEducationCurriculum #nigeria #NigerianSchools #nigerianstudents #education

When most Nigerians fall sick, their first stop isn’t the clinic, it’s the chemist, a neighbour, or a home remedy. It feels normal, even responsible. But this “normal” comes with serious consequences.In 2021 alone, over 50,000 Nigerians died directly from drug resistance, and 47% of adults self-medicated with antibiotics without prescriptions. Behind these numbers are invisible forces, social norms that shape how we make health decisions:

• “Everyone I know goes to the chemist first.”
• “My family expects me to try herbs before going to the clinic.”
• “PHCs don’t have drugs, so I’d rather ask my neighbour or pastor.”

This episode dives deep into how these norms influence trust, delay care, and endanger lives, and how communities can rewrite these habits to make safe choices the normal ones.Join the conversation to learn practical ways we can all shift harmful norms for better health outcomes.🎧 Listen to Episode 23 now: “Norms & Health-Seeking Behaviour.”Let’s challenge the habits that put our health at risk, and rebuild trust in our health system, one conversation at a time.

In collaboration with Sustaining Action for Gender Equality (SAGE), we partnered with Policy Innovation Centre for a fireside chat session at the Gender Inclusion Summit, 2025.Dr. Raihanah Ibrahim (SCIDaR) led the conversation, urging institutions to go beyond just awareness and design systems that actually create space for women. Through the SAGE program, SCIDaR is showing how practical changes like mentorship, childcare support, board parity, and flexible policies can create the kind of environments that foster real change.Dorothy Njemanze of (DNF) reminded everyone that equity conversations must be rooted in the lived experiences of women, especially those who’ve survived gender-based violence. Also, Tola Sunmonu-Balogun (McKinsey & Company) spoke about the barriers women face in health systems due to social norms and institutional biases. This discourse proves that gender-intentional programming isn’t optional—it’s the equity model for sustainable impact. Changing social norms takes time, but with empathy, leadership commitment, and survivor-centered systems, we can reshape the future for good.Relive the experience here.#SocialNorms #PIC #PolicyInnovation #PolicyInnovationCentre #Gender #GenderEquity #GIS #GS25 #GenderandInclusionSummit #GenderandInclusionSummit2025 #SNALC #SAGE #SCIDaR #Norms #FaithLeaders #Entertainment

How do we shift the norms shaping Nigeria’s future?

In collaboration with Sustaining Action for Gender Equality (SAGE), we partnered with Policy Innovation Centre for a webinar which was a build up to the Gender Inclusion Summit, 2025.

From television and digital media to pulpits, mosques, and community gatherings, storytellers and spiritual leaders remain central in shaping what is possible and permissible in society.

This conversation, themed “Influencing Norms, Inspiring Change: The Role of Entertainers and Faith Leaders”, brought together thought leaders to explore one of the most critical levers for change: the voices that shape everyday life.

Join us in reliving the experience.

🎙 What does it really take to shift harmful social norms in

Nigeria?

In this episode of Norms Lab, we explore how trusted faith leaders, cultural champions, and entertainment media are helping reimagine gender, power, and identity in Nigerian communities. Join Anjola Ayodele in conversation with: Haishat Olufadi-Ahmed, public health expert and lead researcher; and Oluwafunmilayo Raheem, social norms strategist. Together, we break down findings from a deep dive on interventions like MTV Shuga

🎙️ What does it really take to shift harmful social norms in Nigeria?

In this episode of Norms Lab, Haishat and Funmi, public health and social norms researchers, shared key findings from their research on social norms-shifting interventions in Nigeria. From TV and radio campaigns to the role of faith-based champions and cultural leaders, they explore what’s working and what gaps remain in the fight to shift harmful norms around health, gender, and social behaviors.

They shared:

✅ Insights from stakeholders and community champions

✅ Lessons from entertainment-education campaigns

✅ How faith leaders are influencing behavior change

✅ Gaps future programs must address

This episode provide real-world insights for practitioners, donors, policymakers, and advocates working to transform social norms.

Digital media has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing the maternal health crisis in Anglophone West Africa. It offers unprecedented opportunities to challenge the social and gender norms impacting interventions, raise awareness, and improve access to healthcare.

Dr. Valentine Amasiatu, senior research associate at SCIDaR, joins this episode's discussion to share his experiences/lessons learnt while leading the Antenatal Risk Stratification project to drive positive change in this sector.

You can follow us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook for more updates.

Gender norms—deeply ingrained societal expectations about the roles and behaviors of men and women—are increasingly influenced by the content, interactions, and algorithms that define our online experiences. While digital media has the potential to challenge and dismantle harmful stereotypes, it can also reinforce traditional gender roles, often in subtle yet pervasive ways.

Listen to Aminat Salaudeen, Women’s Rights & Safety Officer at TechHerNG, and Khadija Lawan, gender integration specialist, as they share their experiences on how digital media shapes gender perceptions and what this means for the broader goals of gender equality.

The rapid growth of digital platforms—ranging from social media giants like Facebook and Instagram to niche communities on Reddit and WhatsApp—has fundamentally changed how we communicate, form relationships, and establish social norms. Unlike traditional social settings, where norms are often rooted in long-standing cultural and societal practices, digital communities offer a dynamic and fluid environment where norms can be created, challenged, and reshaped at an unprecedented pace.

In this episode, Nsidibe-Abasi Joy Una, the Chief of Staff and Special Initiatives Lead at Gatefield, shared valuable insights into how digital communities are shaping contemporary social standards and offer strategies for leveraging digital platforms to promote positive change.

You can follow us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook for more updates.