UNICEF, NBS Task Residents to Corporate as they Intensify MICS-7 Monitoring in Kaduna
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Officials of UNICEF and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday monitored the ongoing Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7) in Kaduna State, urging residents to fully support enumerators to ensure credible data for development planning.
The nationwide survey, already flagged off across all 36 states and the FCT, is gathering essential evidence on children, women, health, nutrition, education and household wellbeing. In Kaduna, field teams are expected to reach 1,000 households across 50 clusters.
During visits to Dan Madami in Rigasa and Tudun Wada, the monitoring team observed enumerators actively conducting interviews, with many residents responding positively.
UNICEF Programme Monitoring Specialist, Husseni Bala Habu, expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded so far.
“We have been to several houses and observed that the MICS staff are doing their work well. People have been cooperating, and some were excited that someone came to know what they feel and what they have in their homes,” he said.
Habu emphasised that the data being collected would be critical for government decision-making.
“When you plan without data, you don’t plan well. These findings will show where issues exist so resources can go to the right people,” he added.
At Tudun Wada, NBS officer Rabia Abduzak appealed to households that had been hesitant or declined to respond.
“We are pleading with Nigerians to please respond when we come to their houses. We need maximum cooperation. We are not strangers; we are here to build a better Nigeria,” she said.
For some residents, the survey represents long-overdue attention. Aliyu Hudu of Dan Madami said the exercise made the community feel recognised.
“In those days, nobody considered us important. We appreciate this initiative and urge stakeholders to empower us with work and resources,” he said.
MICS-7, one of the world’s largest household surveys, is implemented globally by UNICEF in partnership with national statistical systems and is designed to track wellbeing and development progress across states.
