The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated its commitment to supporting the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in the implementation of the seventh edition of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7), describing the data to be collected as the “foundation for deciding how children will survive, grow and thrive” in Nigeria.

UNICEF’s Social Policy Manager, Lagos Field Office, Muhammad Okorie, stated this during the flag-off ceremony of MICS-7, which was held at Kakanfo Inn and Conference Centre, Ring Road, Ibadan, with top government officials, development partners, and field officers in attendance.

The nationwide survey, which will run from December 3, 2025, to March 2026, aims to provide comprehensive and reliable data on the living conditions of women, children, and households across the country.

The survey is aimed at generating quality data that will guide policy decisions on the rights of children and women.

MICS is a government-owned, NBS-led flagship household survey that is globally recognised and coordinated internationally by UNICEF since its first implementation in 1995.

The Social Policy and Programme Manager for UNICEF, Lagos Field Office, Okorie, said that MICS has the capacity to generate quality data to measure the achievement of child rights and to provide evidence that government and stakeholders could use in planning for the future.

Okorie added that MICS could also be used to measure up to 40 different indicators on children, women, and households.

Okorie lauded the dedication of the MICS team and emphasised the importance of evidence-based planning. “What you are collecting is not just data; it is the foundation for securing the future of Nigeria’s over 105 million children,” he said.

“With our mandate of ensuring that the rights of children are fulfilled – the right to survival, the right to development, and the right to participate and contribute to the achievement of national goals – all these start with data.

“It is really very important that MICS 7 is done properly, not just for UNICEF but for every duty bearer that has a role to play in ensuring that the rights of the child are achieved.

“Once this report comes out, it will be the basis for us to assess how well we have done and to plan ahead, organise policy dialogues, design programmes and many other activities,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Adeniran Adeyemi, the Statistician General of the Federation/CEO of NBS, said that MICS-7 was designed to adhere strictly to international statistical standards for data collection and to be firmly grounded in Nigeria’s policy context.

Represented by the NBS Director of Procurement, Mr Audu Olokpo, Adeyemi noted that MICS-7 would generate data for nearly half of the 80 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators measurable through household surveys, thereby making it a cornerstone for SDG tracking.

He said it would also be useful for human capital development monitoring and for measuring progress in national and sub-national development plans, as well as in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“Generally, MICS is unique because it focuses on children and is designed to guide policy decisions.

“It provides high-quality, nationally representative data that helps government and development stakeholders understand disparities, track the situation of the most vulnerable, and inform targeted interventions.

“One of the objectives of MICS 7 is to assess the situation of children, women, adolescents, and households, and to track progress under global and national commitments.

“It also aims to provide disaggregated data for identifying disparities and promoting social inclusion, and to evaluate the impact of interventions and identify gaps for future policy attention.

“This will strengthen national statistical capacity through improved methodologies and standards,” he said.
Adeyemi, however, lauded UNICEF’s commitment to the success of the MICS project by providing both the technical expertise and financial resources needed to sustain the exercise.

According to him, MICS goes beyond data but also shapes policy outcomes that inform where schools are needed, how to strengthen immunisation, reduce child and maternal mortality, and how to direct resources to communities that need them most.

“MICS 7 is not just a statistical exercise; it is a developmental necessity. The policy of tomorrow depends on the accuracy of today’s data.

“If and when we get this right, Nigeria will have at its disposal a powerful evidence base to achieve sustainable and inclusive development,” he said.

Also, the NBS National Consultant for MICS 7, Dr Isiaka Olarewaju, said that the seventh round of MICS has been expanded to include a learning foundation component that captures data on children in schools, and more indicators have been added compared with previous rounds.

“We are appealing to households, particularly heads of household and members, to cooperate with our team of data collectors. We are not a threat to their security; rather, we are partners in progress for the development of children, women and men,” he said.