By Kadiatu Sankoh
Sierra Leone has intensified preparations for the 2026 Population and Housing Census, with government officials, census experts, political parties and development partners calling for nationwide cooperation, professional training and public participation to ensure a credible, accurate and inclusive national exercise.
The call was made during the opening of the Master Trainers and Data Quality Managers Training Workshop on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, at family Kingdom in Freetown. The training, which runs until 23 October, forms part of preparations for the December census under the slogan “#LehDenKontYouOh.”
With approximately 48 days remaining before Census Night, stakeholders emphasised that the success of the exercise would depend on effective training, political cooperation, reliable data collection and public trust.
Delivering the keynote address and officially opening the training, the Statistician General of Statistics Sierra Leone, Mr Andrew Bob Tommy, called on master trainers, census personnel, political parties, the media and the public to work together to ensure a successful census.
He highlighted three major milestones in the preparations: the acquisition of all 29,000 tablets required for the exercise, the completion of national cartographic mapping, and the successful conduct of pilot and mock census exercises.
Mr Tommy explained that the mapping exercise had identified communities, localities and structures and divided the country into manageable enumeration areas to support effective counting and monitoring.
However, he cautioned that technology alone would not guarantee success without competent personnel who understood the census questionnaire, equipment and approved procedures.
He urged master trainers to demonstrate professionalism, consistency and humility, stressing that they must follow established manuals rather than rely on personal interpretations. He also appealed to the media to strengthen public awareness and assured citizens that information collected would remain confidential and be used strictly for statistical purposes.
Mr Tommy further welcomed the support shown by political parties and expressed appreciation to the government, UNFPA, Statistics Sierra Leone staff and development partners, particularly Iceland and Ireland, for their contributions to the census preparations.
In his remarks, Census Director, Mr Brima, explained that the training was designed to develop a pool of master trainers who would subsequently train regional trainers, supervisors and enumerators across the country.
He disclosed that the census would cover 22,508 enumeration areas, with more than 25,000 field personnel expected to be trained.
The programme covers census concepts, definitions, classifications, methodology, questionnaires, operational procedures and data quality assurance. Participants are also expected to undertake practical exercises to strengthen their understanding of field operations.
Brima stressed that standardised procedures, continuous monitoring and effective supervision would be essential to minimising errors and ensuring reliable
Census technical adviser Dr Collins highlighted the importance of technical preparedness and digital innovation, noting that the fully digital census was expected to improve data collection, processing and quality assurance.
He explained that a credible census must ensure that everyone is counted, each person is counted only once, and individuals are counted in the correct place and at the appropriate time.
Dr Collins commended the government, Statistics Sierra Leone and the Core Census Implementation Team, led by James Ledger, for their work in preparing for the exercise.
He also underscored the importance of public education, urging the media to provide accurate information and encourage citizens to cooperate with enumerator
UNFPA Deputy Country Director, Sibeso Mululuma, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting the government and Statistics Sierra Leone through technical assistance and quality assurance.
She described the census as a foundation for national development, noting that reliable population data informs decisions on schools, health facilities, infrastructure and social services, as well as progress towards national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mululuma described master trainers and data quality managers as guardians of census data integrity, responsible for ensuring that procedures are followed, errors are minimised and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, are adequately represented.
She acknowledged the financial support of the Government of Iceland and other development partners, urging participants to approach the training with diligence, precision and professionalism.
Political party representatives also pledged their support, stressing that the census must remain a national exercise free from partisan interests.
Representing the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Hon. Kanu called for political parties to be involved in public sensitisation campaigns without party colours or political symbols. He warned against the inclusion of fictitious villages or individuals, and stressed the importance of ensuring that all communities were counted.
Kanu pledged the SLPP’s support throughout the enumeration process and the eventual publication of the census report.
Similarly, APC representative, Leonard Balogun Koroma, reaffirmed his party’s commitment to supporting the exercise, calling for greater transparency, dialogue and timely responses to concerns raised by political stakeholders.
Reflecting on concerns surrounding the 2021 Mid-Term Census, Koroma urged Statistics Sierra Leone to learn from previous experiences and strengthen public confidence in the upcoming exercise.
He also proposed joint public education efforts involving the APC and SLPP without partisan symbols, encouraging citizens to welcome enumerators and participate fully. He assured the census authorities that the APC was prepared to set aside partisan interests in support of a credible national exercise.