Strengthening data quality systems and youth capacity for large-scale impact evaluation: lessons from the  ACReSAL training in Northern Nigeria

Nkonya, E.; Gurmu, M.; Manda, J.; Olaoye, I.; Anyebe, O.; Nyaa, M.; Yuwa, E.

Strengthening data quality systems and youth capacity for large-scale impact evaluation: lessons from the ACReSAL training in Northern Nigeria

Autores

Editor

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Descripción

Data quality is a critical foundation for credible impact evaluation and evidence-based policymaking. The reliability of policy decisions depends directly on the accuracy and integrity of data collected from the field. Recognizing this, and with support from the World Bank, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) conducted a capacity-building training from March 23–27, 2026 to strengthen data quality systems for the impact assessment of the ACReSAL project in Northern Nigeria. The training equipped enumerators and ACReSAL M&E, GIS, and MIS officers with relevant practical skills in household survey implementation, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, sampling protocols, and real-time data quality assurance processes to ensure readiness for large-scale data collection. This effort supported the successful rollout of data collection from approximately 3,348 ACReSAL’s intervention, control, and spillover communities in 20 Northern states in Nigeria. The study is designed not only to produce a robust impact assessment of the ACReSAL interventions in Northern Nigeria, but also to strengthen the capacity of over 170 youth enumerators and ACReSAL’s technical staff, strengthening local systems for high-quality data generation and analysis. This report provides the background, and reports of all activities during the training program including the pretest, role play, training evaluation, and the facilitators’ delivery approach. Overall, the training was adjudged by the participants to be successfully and satisfactorily conducted after all the objectives of the training were achieved as planned.