George Komeh: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 15 November 2026:
From 10–13 November, UNFPA Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), supported Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) to conduct regional engagements in Bo, Makeni, Port Loko and Waterloo to strengthen public awareness and community mobilisation ahead of the December 2026 National Population and Housing Census.
The engagements brought together local council representatives, traditional leaders, youth and religious leaders, civil society and media practitioners to mobilise communities across all 16 districts.
In Bo, Kenyeh Barlay, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, officially opened the engagements, commending UNFPA’s support and highlighting the importance of reliable census data for national development planning, resource allocation and evidence-based policymaking.
Representing UNFPA, John Baimba Sesay, Communications Analyst, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening national data systems. He highlighted UNFPA’s technical and financial support, including specialised consultants and public mobilisation, and acknowledged the contributions of the Governments of Iceland and Ireland.
Sesay also underscored the importance of credible population data in tracking Sierra Leone’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Representing Stats SL, Samuel T. Ansumana, Director of Communications and Public Relations, explained the census timetable, methodology, data confidentiality safeguards and digital processes.
He highlighted the importance of the engagements in addressing public concerns and equipping community leaders to mobilise households, while expressing appreciation to UNFPA for its continued support.
Mayors of Makeni and Port Loko, alongside the Deputy Mayor of Bo and Deputy Chairman of Waterloo Council emphasised that the census goes beyond politics and is essential to national development, calling on every Sierra Leonean to participate.
The Western Region engagement also brought together the Ministry’s Director of Rural Development, Mbalu Kamara, and Director of Public Investment Programmes, Alpha Bangura.
Across the four hubs, stakeholders committed to taking the census message into communities through chiefdom engagements, youth-led outreach, radio jingles, community radio and faith-based platforms.
With UNFPA’s funding support, these activities will extend awareness and mobilisation across all 16 districts in the coming weeks.
The engagements coincided with the Training of Enumerators and Supervisors (TOES), a key milestone in preparations for Sierra Leone’s first fully digital census. Census Night is 1 December 2026, followed by household enumeration from 2–16 December.
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