Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday launched Nigeria’s 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and National Immunization Coverage Survey report, providing reliable nationwide and internationally comparable data to monitor the situation of children and women in Nigeria.
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 and women, 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.
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The National Bureau of Statistics implemented MICS which provides data on child mortality, health, nutrition, education, child and social protection, women’s health care and empowerment, water, sanitation and hygiene, while NICS assesses vaccination coverage provided through the health systems.
Indicators produced for the first time include social transfer, household energy use, child functioning and foundational learning skills.
The survey measures the government’s progress towards national commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The MICS results reveal that Nigeria has made progress in some sectors. Child mortality decreased from 1 in 8 children dying before their fifth birthday in 2016 to 1 in 10 children in 2021.
The report showed that there has also been significant progress in exclusive breastfeeding and birth registration rates.
For instance, the exclusive breastfeeding rate increased from 24 per cent to 34 per cent, while nearly 60 per cent of Nigerian children are now registered at birth with civil authorities, compared to 47 per cent in 2016.
In addition, child marriage (women married before age 18) has reduced from 44 per cent to 30 per cent since 2016.
Speaking on the report, the Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO National Bureau of Statistics Adeyemi Adeniran, said, “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.”
Also, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins said the information collated will inform policies aimed at social inclusion of the most vulnerable population, help identify disparities, and allow for international comparability.
“Data is critical for effective budgeting and decision making – and the data from these surveys together paint a picture of the situation for children and families in Nigeria,
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“The picture is a mixed one. 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,” he added.