Nigeria Launches Seventh Nationwide Child and Development Survey in South-West Zone

The Oyo State Bureau of Statistics on Thursday officially flagged off the South-West round of the seventh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7), a nationwide data-gathering exercise designed to produce reliable statistics on child health, nutrition, education, and other critical development indicators.

The survey, implemented by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in partnership with UNICEF, the European Union, the Government of Canada, and other development partners, follows a month-long intensive training programme for enumerators drawn from Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Lagos, and Ekiti States. Fieldwork will run from December 3 to March 2026.

Speaking at the launch in Ibadan, the Statistician-General of the Federation and NBS Chief Executive Officer, Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, said MICS-7 is being conducted simultaneously across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Adeniran, represented by the NBS Director of Procurement, Audu Olokbo, described the survey as vital for shaping evidence-driven government decisions and urged citizens to cooperate fully with enumerators.

The NBS Zonal Controller for the South-West, Adebayo Otunuga, noted that the timing of the exercise would help policymakers design targeted interventions to address urgent development challenges.

He also disclosed that over 100 trained enumerators from state ministries, statistical agencies, and the NBS will lead data collection in the region, urging them to maintain strict professionalism, diligence, and accuracy.

UNICEF’s Social Policy Manager, Muhammad Okorie, commended the preparation ahead of fieldwork and underscored the need for high-quality data to guide Nigeria’s development planning. He said MICS-7 will generate essential insights on maternal and child health, education, sanitation, and wider socioeconomic conditions. Okorie also called for stronger public enlightenment and community mobilisation so households can participate confidently and willingly.

Data from MICS-7 is expected to provide timely and actionable evidence that will strengthen national and state-level programmes on child nutrition, learning outcomes, health services, water and sanitation access, and general well-being.