The Oyo State Bureau of Statistics on Thursday led the official flag-off of the seventh round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7) for the South-West geopolitical zone, marking the start of a nationwide effort to generate reliable data for child health, nutrition, education, and other key development areas.
The exercise, conducted in collaboration with UNICEF, the European Union, the Government of Canada, and other partners, follows a month-long intensive training programme for enumerators drawn from Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Lagos, and Ekiti States. Fieldwork is scheduled to take place from December 3 to March 2026.
Speaking at the event in Ibadan, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, said MICS-7 is being conducted simultaneously across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Adeniran, represented by the NBS Director of Procurement, Audu Olokbo, described the survey as crucial for shaping evidence-based government policies and called on citizens to cooperate fully with field officers.
Also speaking, the NBS Zonal Controller for the South-West, Adebayo Otunuga, praised the timing of the survey, noting that it would allow policymakers to develop targeted strategies to tackle pressing challenges affecting Nigerians.
Otunuga added that more than 100 enumerators across the South-West have been trained for the exercise. They were selected from state ministries of health and education, state statistical agencies, and the NBS. He urged them to uphold diligence and accuracy throughout the data collection process.
Meanwhile, UNICEF’s Social Policy Manager, Muhammad Okorie, commended the level of preparation and stressed the importance of generating high-quality data for effective development planning. He said MICS-7 will produce robust information on maternal, newborn and child health, education, and broader socioeconomic indicators.
He also appealed for heightened public awareness and community mobilisation to ensure households willingly participate in the survey.
The results from MICS-7 are expected to strengthen national and state-level interventions by providing up-to-date insights on child nutrition, education outcomes, health services, sanitation, and overall well-being.
