By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
Nigeria has launched year 2021 Multiple Indicator Survey (MICS) and National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) Report.
Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, launched the report on Tuesday August 16, 2022.
“The report provides reliable nationwide and internationally comparable data to monitor the situation of children and women in Nigeria,” United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ngeria said in a news statement issued on Tuesday.
The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey is a household survey developed by UNICEF to assist countries in filling data gaps for monitoring human development indicators in general and the situation of children in particular.
“It has evolved over the years to respond to changing data needs, expanding from 28 indicators in the first round in 1999 to 200 in its current sixth,” UNICEF explained.
The UN authority on children’s well-being disclosed that National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) implemented MICS which provides data on child mortality, health, nutrition, education, child and social protection, women’s healthcare and empowerment, water, sanitation and hygiene.
On its part, NICS assesses vaccination coverage provided through the health system, UNICEF clarified.
It said that indicators produced for the first time include social transfer, household energy use, child functioning and foundational learning skills.
UNICEF stated that the survey measures government’s progress towards national commitmrent and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The 2021 Nigeria MICS-NICS report provides evidence-based data for all key stakeholders to prioritise quality services for children and women with higher efficiency and effectiveness,” Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO, National Bureau of Statistics, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, said.
Adeniran highlighted that information collated will inform policies aimed at social inclusion of the most vulnerable population, help identify disparities, and allow for international comparability.
Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, said, “Data is critical for effective budgeting and decision-making – and the data from these surveys together paint a picture of the situation of children and families in Nigeria.
Hawkins highlighted that the picture is mixed, adding: “While there has been some good progress, and we should celebrate that – we still have a long way to go to towards ensuring the well-being of children in Nigeria.
