Korede Abdullah 
ADO-EKITI, Nigeria – The Ekiti State Government begins the seventh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7) to strengthen evidence-based policies targeting women, children and vulnerable groups.
The survey is implemented in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), positioning Ekiti within a global framework for data-driven governance.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, the Statistician-General of Ekiti State, Mrs Dolapo Ojo, describes the exercise as vital to generating credible, internationally comparable household data.
“This survey is a critical step towards producing reliable data on living conditions across Ekiti State,” Ojo says. “It supports informed planning and effective policy decisions at both state and national levels.”
She explains that MICS-7 tracks about 40 key indicators, covering child health and nutrition, education — including a newly introduced learning foundation component — child protection, household living conditions, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Fieldwork begins in December 2025, with trained enumerators from the NBS and the state Bureau of Statistics deploying digital data collection tools to enhance accuracy, transparency and efficiency.
To ensure inclusive representation, Ekiti is divided into 49 rural and urban clusters, with 20 households selected per cluster, amounting to 980 households. “Every household member, from the head of the family to infants, will be captured using age-specific questionnaires,” Ojo explains.
She adds that MICS-7 remains a key data source for tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with results expected by August 2026.
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Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 