By Remi Johnson
In a bid to address social norm issues with a view to shift from harmful stereotypes to transforming the society, a conference aimed at promoting moral values in families and gender inclusion has been held in Abuja, with a call on African youths and citizens never to accept social vices as social norms.
This was the position of several Behavioural Specialists that spoke at the forum organized by Anglophone West Africa Learning Collaborative and other Partners drawn from different organizations from Africa countries.
The essence of the social norms conference with the theme:” From Research to Reality: Socio Behavioural Solutions for Accelerated Human Capital Development”” is for participants and partner organizations to collaborate, learn new lessons, and share experiences to improve their skills in the work of reshaping mindsets for a better society.
In a keynote address, a Veteran Broadcaster, Chief Moji Makanjuola who spoke on the importance of families in building a vibrant society, advocated media national conversation on the need for parents to inculcate moral values in their children for a better world.
Chief Makanjuola who also canvasses for paternity leave to enable the men support their wives in nurturing the babies, attributed the increasing moral decadence ranging from Yahoo Yahoo practice, Cultism, drug addiction, rape, gender based violence, awkward stereotypes, bullying among other vices as some of the negative effects of lack of proper parental guidance.
According to her, “The family is the bedrock on which characters, values, norms are formed. And over time people have ignored the power of the family. Parents no longer give that attention that children needs to mould them into what they are expected to be.
” We need to have a national conversation going forward on those norms that makes us special, that makes us peculiar. So, the media has a central role in changing the narratives and promoting the paradigm shift that will bring us back to the best of our yesterdays’ and looking forward to the best of tomorrow .
“We have taken some things from some developed countries that does not resonate with us.Our own peculiarities as Nigeria, Africans, and as a people must be the guilding principles.” Makanjuola said.
In an interview, a Social Behavior Change Specialist working with UNICEF, Mr Eki George, described the social norms conference as apt in reshaping mindsets and changing naratives of some harmful practices, cited an example with attitude of rejecting vaccination of children and it’s dangers.
” Conversation around social norms is very important for us in UNICEF because we work across many problematic areas of child protection, education, health water and sanitation. All these areas has issues around norms that actually drives behaviour.
“Example is on immunization in Northern region. We still have alot of Zero -Dose children that have never received any vaccination and the reasons some parents put up is as simple as I don’t have a need for it. Such attitude leads to increasing numbers of unvaccinated children which explains why certain outbreaks occurs year in year out” George said.
Also speaking, Technical Adviser of CAPANS, Mariam Jegede , representing the Francophone Social norms learning collaborative said social norms influences behaviour, hence the need for Anglophone and Francophone organizations to work together in championing behavioural change that will make the world a better place.
Contributing, A Programme Associate For Women In Global Health, Ayotomiwa Ayodele who called for the protection of health workers, particularly the women, also advocated for more women in appointive positions in the sector.
“So far, Nigerian has had only one female minister in the health sector. We hope to see more, we want to see more women in Leadership positions. Women should not be sidelined in decision making” She said.
Lending his voice, the Director General of SWEDEN, Mr Charles Odii, represented by the Head Corporate Affairs, Mr Moshood Lawal noted that a shift from the norms of insatiable quest for foreign products to patronizing locally made goods will help to boost the country’s economy exponentially.
According to the DG SMEDAN”Behaviour change towards building human capital development is key to what SMEDAN is looking at to grow Nigeria in line with the overall Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope.
“When you don’t change the stereotypes, the social norms of what people heroniously believed in, there is no how a country will move forward.
“Basically looking at the theme ‘From Research To Reality’ is for Nigeria to actually move into the reality on ground, to start patronizing Nigeria in order to grow the economy, wear made in Nigeria clothes, eating made in Nigeria food, watching made in Nigeria movies, and of course made in Nigeria songs” .