The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have said Nigeria needs accurate data for effective planning, policy dialogue and programme designs in a bid to improve the lives of children, women, and households.BThe disclosure was made at the flag-off ceremony of the seventh round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS7), held in Ibadan, Oyo State, for the South West Zone.

The UNICEF's Programme and Social Policy Manager, Muhammad Okorie; Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of NBS, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran; as well ss National Consultant for MICS 7, Dr. Isiaka Olarewaju, emphasised the importance of accurate data in their messages at the occasion.

The survey, which is being led by the National and South West States Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, will commence on December 3, 2025, and end by the end of March 2026. It was officially flagged off by the Statistician-General of the Federation for Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti States.