MICS7 Kicks Off in Ibadan as Nigeria Deepens Data Drive for Children and Women

The Federal Government has officially launched the Seventh Round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS7), a nationally representative survey aimed at generating high-quality data on children, women, and households.

OYO NEWS reports that the ceremony took place at Kakanfo Inn and Conference Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, bringing together statisticians and development partners from across the Southwest.

Representing the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, the Director of Procurement at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Mr. Audu Olokpo, described MICS7 as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s quest for timely, accurate, and policy-relevant data. The survey is globally coordinated by UNICEF and led nationally by the NBS.

MICS7 will contribute to nearly half of all Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators measurable through household surveys, making it central to tracking Nigeria’s human capital development and the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The survey includes new modules on early HPV, discrimination, post-emergency conditions, complementary feeding, time-use, decision-making in reproductive health, and anthropometric measurements.

The survey will be administered in English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin to enhance inclusiveness.

Fieldwork begins on December 3 and will span over two months across the country. The survey is a collaboration involving MDAs, state statistical offices, development partners, and technical experts nationwide.

“MICS7 is not just a statistical activity; it is a developmental necessity,” Olokpo stated, emphasizing that accurate data will guide policies on education, immunization, maternal and child health, and social inclusion.

UNICEF’s Muhammad Okori underscored the importance of data in advancing children’s rights, describing MICS as a comprehensive data system on women and children. The National Consultant for MICS7, Dr. Isiaka Olarewaju, highlighted new additions, including measuring learning foundations for schoolchildren and expanded time-use indicators.

The survey aims to provide data for assessing policy performance and fulfilling obligations to Nigerian children.