Stats SL, MOICE & SLAJ Launch Media Orientation
By Kadiatu Sankoh
Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MOICE) and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other partners, have launched a regional media orientation programme to prepare journalists for the 2026 Population and Housing Census.
The engagement, held in Freetown on Thursday, 29 October 2026, aims to strengthen accurate and responsible reporting, combat misinformation and disinformation, and encourage nationwide public participation ahead of Census Night on 1 December. Counting is expected to continue into 2 December, while the enumeration exercise is scheduled to last 16 days.
Speaking at the engagement, Director of Communication, Samuel Ansumnna, outlined the financial contributions from development partners towards the census. According to him, UNFPA contributed US$235,300, Ireland provided US$587,325, and Iceland contributed US$712,800, bringing total donor support to US$1,535,425.
He also highlighted the government’s financial commitment to the exercise, noting that the overall census budget had increased from US$37.9 million to more than US$46 million, including a government allocation of US$15 million.
Meanwhile, SLAJ Secretary-General, Mr Marah, and Tanu Jalloh urged journalists to uphold professional ethics and ensure accuracy, fairness and balance in their coverage of the census.
They emphasised that responsible journalism is critical to addressing misinformation and disinformation, building public trust, and ensuring that citizens receive accurate information about the census process.
The media orientation is part of broader efforts to equip journalists with the knowledge and tools needed to educate the public, address concerns and promote cooperation with census officials.
Organisers also disclosed plans to extend the orientation programme to other parts of the country to ensure wider media preparedness and support for the successful conduct of the 2026 Population and Housing Census.