NBS Flags Off Seventh Round of MICS for Northwest Nigeria
Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has formally flagged off the seventh round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7) for the Northwest Region, a nationwide data exercise generating critical evidence on the welfare of women, children, and households across Nigeria, with support from UNICEF.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday in Kaduna, the Statistician General of Kaduna State and Chief Executive Officer of the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Baba Bukar Alhaji, described the survey as a cornerstone for credible governance and development planning.
He said the exercise aims to gather critical data on children and women of childbearing age for the purpose of policy formulation in the state, for partners, and for researchers.
“Everything we do as a society relies on information. Data is life. Data is the new oil,” he added.
Dr. Alhaji noted that the flag-off was taking place simultaneously across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT, with the Northwest zone hosting representatives from Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi States.
He explained that field teams underwent rigorous, month-long training ahead of the commencement of data collection on 3rd February, which will run through March 2026.
According to him, more than 500 enumerators have been trained nationwide, including over 100 deployed to the Northwest zone.
The teams were drawn from the education and health sectors, state statistical agencies, and the National Bureau of Statistics, with additional training in anthropometric measurements.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Dr. Gerida Irikila, who was represented by Husseni Bala Habu, Programme Monitoring for Results Specialist, UNICEF emphasized the historic scale of the exercise.
Nigeria’s MICS-7, Habu said, is the largest single MICS survey ever conducted globally, and the quality of output depends on the professionalism and safety of the field teams.
He reminded enumerators that they are not just collecting data but giving children a voice.
The success of MICS-7 in the Northwest is critical because the region has some of the highest rates of child poverty, malnutrition, and out-of-school children, making accurate information essential for effective interventions.
He also urged state governments and LGAs to support community mobilization, ensure the safety of field teams, and uphold the integrity of the exercise.
One of the interviewers, Fatima Ibrahim from the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics, expressed confidence in the training and the expected quality of the survey results.
She said the team looks forward to generating very reliable information across Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) indicators, educational indicators, and other socio-economic metrics, noting that this seventh round is a major one with high expectations.
From the National Bureau of Statistics, Antonia Moses highlighted the depth of the exercise, emphasizing that MICS-7 is being conducted in all 36 states and the FCT.
She explained that each state will cover 50 Enumeration Areas (EAs), with 20 households interviewed per EA, and that multiple questionnaires are designed to capture diverse age groups and sexes to ensure accurate representation.
MICS-7, implemented globally by UNICEF in partnership with national statistical systems, is one of the world’s largest and most reliable sources of data on health, nutrition, education, and child protection.
The Kaduna State Government and its partners said the findings will guide targeted investments, particularly in combating malnutrition and improving outcomes for women and children across the state.
