UNICEF, NBS Urge Enugu to Take Ownership of MICS7 Exercise

UNICEF and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have asked the Enugu State Government to take full ownership of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Round 7 (MICS7) being conducted in the state.

The call came during a joint advocacy visit to Governor Peter Mbah in Enugu. The delegation was led by Wayne Bacale of UNICEF Nigeria and Adeyemi Adeniran of the NBS. The governor was represented by Nathaniel Uruama, Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning.

Adeniran, who is the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of NBS, said the team visited to brief the state on progress made so far in the survey.

"We are here on an advocacy visit to intimate His Excellency with the progress of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Round 7," Adeniran said.

He said the exercise is being implemented by NBS in partnership with UNICEF and development partners, including the Government of Canada and the United Nations.

According to him, MICS7 is running in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, not only in Enugu. He said data collection began in November 2025 and will continue through March 2026.

Adeniran said the process includes enumerators and data collectors drawn from ministries and institutions within Enugu State, so that the government can directly own and use the information generated.

"This is Enugu State, and we have enumerators selected from various ministries in the state working alongside our staff to collect the data. At the end of the day, we want the Enugu State Government to know that this data is collected from its own people," he said.

He said the data will support evidence-based planning and policy design, helping government allocate resources and structure programmes that improve welfare outcomes.

Bacale, UNICEF’s planning, monitoring and reporting lead in Nigeria, described UNICEF as a longstanding partner of NBS on the survey and said the collaboration has lasted more than 35 years. He added that Nigeria’s MICS data is the most downloaded globally among participating countries.

Responding for the governor, Uruama thanked UNICEF and NBS for carrying out the exercise in Enugu and described Mbah as a data-driven leader. He said reliable data is necessary for the state’s plan to grow the economy and reduce poverty.

He said recent progress in sectors including education and health requires accurate statistics for proper budgeting and implementation. He noted that a significant share of the 2026 budget was allocated to education and said MICS7 would help improve resource allocation.

Uruama also asked for stronger state participation in all parts of the data strategy to ensure credibility and accuracy. Other commissioners at the meeting included officials from Human Capital and Poverty Reduction, Health and Budget.