The Statistician General of the Federation (SGN), Dr. Yemi Kale, on Tuesday urged Nigerians to support officers of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) assigned to conduct the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS6)/National Immunization Coverage Survey(NICS) surveys nationwide to ensure the success of the exercise.
The MICS is the largest source of statistically sound and internationally comparable data on women and children worldwide, focusing on issues such as; health, education, child protection, water and sanitation, amongst others. The survey also serves as a major source of data in measuring achievements of some of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other international commitments.
The nation’s chief statistician, who gave the charge during a multi-stakeholder media briefing in Abuja, said the scope of the survey had been broadened to cover men and children’s critical data to reflect the current realities in the nation’s socio-economic sectors.
Kale, who listed some of the key achievements recorded by past MICS, particularly the MICS5, said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the MICS6 was signed in November 2019 with the United Nations Education Fund (UNICEF), but that its conduct was largely hindered by the COVID-19 lockdown.
He explained that the latest efforts to conduct the survey, along with the National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to consolidate on the successes recorded on the past MICS survey.
The Statistician General explained: “Since its inception, the MICS has become the largest source of statistically sound and internationally comparable data on women and children worldwide. In Nigeria, this is the 6th round of MICS exercise, hence the name MICS6. Like the 5th round of the exercise which was conducted in 2016/2017, this round combines both the MICS and NICS surveys.
“The combination of the two surveys in Nigeria has become a pioneer and model for strategic implementation and management of multiple surveys. This has been done for the purpose of efficiency, cost reduction and data consistency within the national statistical system. This novel feat being successfully implemented in Nigeria is also being recommended and used as a model for other national statistics organizations, particularly in countries of the African continent.
“The importance of this survey is not in any doubt, on completion of this exercise, the MICS-NICS will serve as a major source of data for tracking the success or otherwise of Nigeria’s attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and also serve as a major source of information for monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and national status of households in Nigeria”, Kale added.
On arrangements made by the NBS to ensure that all staff engaged in the exercise do not suffer attacks as the national insecurity challenge subsists, he disclosed that those involved in the exercise had been given the proper orientation on security matters, adding that most of them are also knowledgeable about their locations since they had carried out similar surveys there in the past.
Kale also spoke on the increasing need for improved funding of the NBS in view of the criticality of credible and timely data to national development.
He also appealed to all relevant stakeholders to the successful conduct of the surveys, including the media, and specifically urged “the general public to cooperate with our staff as they will be starting the conduct of the surveys nationwide by giving them the needed factual information and data required for a credible exercise of this nature.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Director, Disease Control of the National Primary Health Development Agency (NPHDA), Dr. Basset Okposen, thanked the NBS and the UNICEF for their commitment to the conduct of the surveys, stressing that the past MICS survey findings have been helpful to the Nigerian government in addressing disease problems at the primary health care level, including the management of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
The Director also appealed to Nigerians that were yet to be vaccinated for the COVID-19 pandemic prevention to take their jabs in view of the health and other benefits to them and the society.
The first round of MICS in Nigeria was conducted in 1995 by the then Federal Office of Statistics, which is now National Bureau of Statistics. Since its inception, a total of 5 rounds had been conducted with technical support majorly from UNICEF.
