Ekiti Govt Flags Off MICS Round 7 to Strengthen Evidence-Based Planning

The Ekiti State Government has flagged off the seventh round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) to strengthen data-driven governance and people-centred development.

Speaking at the event held in Ado-Ekiti,the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Femi Ajayi, described the survey as a critical tool for effective planning, service delivery and equitable resource allocation across the state.

He noted that the multiple Indicator Cluster Survey is a global household survey programme developed by UNICEF and implemented in Nigeria by the National Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with state bureaus of statistics.

Ajayi said the survey would provide high-quality and disaggregated data to monitor progress toward global development goals, identify inequalities and strengthen the state’s development strategies.

He noted that the administration of Gov. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji had demonstrated strong leadership in the use of statistics for sustainable development.

According to the Commissioner, the survey will enhance the state’s capacity to generate timely and reliable data for informed decision-making, particularly in improving the well-being of women, children and other vulnerable groups.

Ajayi urged local government chairmen, traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to cooperate with enumerators during the exercise, assuring that all information collected would be treated with strict confidentiality and used solely for statistical purposes.

He also charged enumerators and supervisors to carry out their duties with professionalism and integrity, describing them as ambassadors of the national and state statistical systems at the grassroots level.

In a goodwill message, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, said the survey report would serve as a diagnostic tool to assess the impact of government interventions in the health sector.

She noted that several health facilities across the state had been recently equipped, upgraded and renovated to improve access to affordable and quality healthcare.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatubosun, represented by the Ministry's Acting Permanent Secretary, Mrs Adesola Fadiran, said the administration’s efforts had significantly improved human and infrastructural development in the state.

Earlier, the Statistician-General, Mrs Dolapo Dasola Ojo, described MICS as a vital statistical tool for measuring progress, guiding interventions and improving the lives of women and children.

Other stakeholders at the event commended the state government’s commitment to evidence-based planning.