The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has urged the Enugu State Government to take full ownership of the ongoing Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Round 7 (MICS7) data collection exercise in the state to ensure a successful outcome.
The call was made during a joint advocacy visit to Governor Peter Mbah by delegates from UNICEF and NBS lead by Wayne Bacale, UNICEF Nigeria and Adeyemi Adeniran of NBS in Enugu on Wednesday.
The governor was represented by Nathaniel Uruama, commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning.
Adeyemi Adeniran, statistician-general of the Federation and chief executive officer of the NBS, while speaking during the visit, said the team was in Enugu to brief the governor on the progress of the MICS7 project.
“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 explained that the survey was being conducted by the NBS in partnership with UNICEF and other development partners, including the Government of Canada and the United Nations.
Read also: Enugu, UNICEF urge accuracy as South East begins MICS7 data collection December 3
The exercise, he said, was ongoing in all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory and not only in Enugu State.
According to him, the data collection, which commenced in November 2025, will run through March 2026.
Adeniran stressed that the survey was a multi-partner initiative involving enumerators and data collectors drawn from the state.
“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 noted that the data generated would support evidence-based planning and policy formulation, enabling the government to design programmes and projects that will improve the welfare of citizens.
He added that the survey process was deliberately structured to ensure the active participation of state officials at every stage.
“We have designed the implementation in such a way that at each stage of data production, the state is fully involved and actively participating,” he said.
Wayne Bacale, planning, monitoring and reporting UNICEF Nigeria, described the agency as a longstanding partner of the NBS in conducting the MICS, noting that the collaboration spans over 35 years.
He expressed confidence in the capacity of the NBS to deliver credible results, adding that Nigeria’s MICS data remains the most downloaded globally among participating countries.
Uruama, responding on behalf of the governor, expressed appreciation to the NBS and UNICEF for conducting the MICS7 in Enugu State, describing Governor Mbah as a data-driven leader.
He noted that the state government’s commitment to increasing Gross Domestic Product and reducing poverty would be better achieved with accurate and reliable data.
“That is why we are pleased that this Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey is taking place at this time,” Uruama said.
He highlighted achievements recorded by the state government in sectors such as education and health, adding that a significant portion of the 2026 budget had been allocated to education.
“All these require reliable data for proper allocation of resources. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey will help us allocate resources effectively for the benefit of our people,” he said.
Uruama, however, appealed for greater involvement of the state in all strategies related to the data collection process to ensure accurate and credible results.
Other commissioners present at the meeting includes commissioner for Human capital and poverty reduction, Health, Budget, among others.
