UNICEF picks holes in Nigeria's childcare indicators – TheNiche

UNICEF picks holes as Nigeria still has a long way to go

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

“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 towards ensuring the well-being of children in Nigeria” – UNICEF.

Child healthcare in Nigeria is making progress but still lags behind international standards, says United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) after digesting the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and National Immunisation Coverage Survey (NICS).

The two documents launched in Abuja provide reliable nationwide and internationally comparable data to monitor the situation of children and women in Nigeria.

They show exclusive breastfeeding rate increased from 24 per cent in 2016 to 34 per cent 2021 and nearly 60 per cent of children are now registered at birth with civil authorities.

The MICS, launched by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said child mortality decreased from 1 in 8 children dying before their fifth birthday (MICS 2016) to 1 in 10 children (MICS 2021).

It reported progress in exclusive breastfeeding, birth registration rates, and child marriage (of women married before age 18) reduced from 44 per cent in 2016 to 30 per cent in 2021.

“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,” said Adeyemi Adeniran, Federal Statistician General and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Chief Executive Officer.

“The information collated will inform policies aimed at social inclusion of the most vulnerable population, help identify disparities, and allow for international comparability.”

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Data critical for effective budgeting

As Nigeria builds back better from the impact of the pandemic, Adeniran added, the MICS-NICS survey provides evidence to shape interventions and focus resources to help children and their families attain their full potential, per Vanguard reporting.

“Using the data to monitor progress towards our collective commitments to children and families, and inform future action is critical if we must leave no one behind.”

UNICEF Representative Peter Hawkins said data is critical for effective budgeting and decision-making, and data from these surveys together paint a picture of the situation of children and families in Nigeria.

“The picture is a mixed one,” he explained. “While there has been some good progress – and we should celebrate that – we still have a long way to go towards ensuring the well-being of children in Nigeria.

“The findings of this survey will help guide the federal and state governments as they plan their budgets – providing evidence for where more support and funds need to be  wisely allocated and utilised.”

About MICS and NICS

UNICEF developed MICS as a household survey to assist countries in filling data gaps for monitoring human development indicators in general and the situation of children and women in particular.

Vanguard reports 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.

MICS which provides data on child mortality, health, nutrition, education, child and social protection, women's health care and empowerment, water, sanitation, and hygiene.

On the other hand, 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.

NICS also measures progress towards national commitments and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).