Enugu, UNICEF urge accuracy as South East begins MICS7 data collection December 3

Enugu State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have called for accuracy and integrity from more than 70 trained data collectors selected across the five South East states ahead of the seventh round of the Nigerian Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7), with the field exercise scheduled to begin on December 3, 2025

Peter Mbah, Enugu State governor represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia while speaking at the South East Zonal Flag-off ceremony in Enugu recently, with the theme ‘MICS 7: Data for Progress,’ said credible data remains critical for shaping effective public policies.

Onyia described the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey as a comprehensive household survey developed by UNICEF and implemented by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), stressing that it provides timely and reliable information on the well-being of children, women, men and households.

“You will notice in the past three years that data has played a significant role in our policy direction,” he said. “When we were looking for a Statistician-General, we were very clear that we needed someone who understood the key data points required to drive our education, health, infrastructure and climate action policies. We understand the critical work the NBS does.”

He urged residents of communities selected for the survey to provide honest and reliable information, noting that the results will help government adjust and strengthen existing development strategies.

“We thank the households that will participate. We also commend UNICEF for always being our partner—whether in sanitation, education, health, or now in data collection,” Onyia added. He also applauded the field officers, describing them as central to the success of the exercise.

Juliet Chiliwe, chief of UNICEF’s Enugu Field Office, appealed to community leaders and households to cooperate fully with data collectors and avoid withholding information.

“On behalf of UNICEF, I extend our sincere appreciation to the Government of Nigeria and all partners for their continued collaboration in advancing the rights and well-being of every child,” she said.

Chiluwe noted that MICS remains Nigeria’s most reliable and comprehensive household survey on children and women, providing essential evidence for tracking human capital development, child rights and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda.

With nearly 205million children almost half of Nigeria’s estimated 2022 population of 216.7 million—she stressed that accurate, timely and disaggregated data is more critical than ever.

“Beyond statistics, MICS helps us understand where progress is being made and where gaps persist, ensuring that every child, regardless of geography or circumstance, is counted, visible and included in planning and service delivery,” she said.

Chiluwe commended the field teams whose work begins immediately after the flag-off, emphasizing that their professionalism and commitment will determine the quality of the survey outcomes. She assured that all information collected will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and released only at national and state levels.

UNICEF, she added, will continue to provide financial and technical support to ensure the successful completion of MICS-7 in the South East and across the country. Ends.