With the national Population and Housing Census now firmly on the horizon, Sierra Leone has taken a decisive step toward ensuring credibility, inclusivity, and technical soundness in the 2026 headcount. As the Pilot Population and Housing Census comes to an end, Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has begun an intensive review of lessons learned, drawing on feedback from international Independent Monitors and development partners.
At a high-level technical briefing held at the Stats SL Conference Hall at Kona Lodge, senior officials of the institution met with representatives of key regional and international bodies to examine findings from the pilot exercise. The meeting marked a critical checkpoint in the census roadmap, allowing stakeholders to identify strengths, expose risks, and fine-tune strategies well ahead of the 2026 nationwide enumeration.
Participants included experts from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Mano River Union, and the Office for National Statistics of the United Kingdom, alongside Stats SL’s senior management and technical team.
Opening the engagement, Statistician General Andrew Bob Johnny emphasized that the timing of the review was deliberate and strategic. According to him, holding detailed discussions a full year before the main census offers Stats SL a rare opportunity to address operational gaps and strengthen systems without pressure.
He noted that face-to-face engagement with Independent Monitors made it easier to unpack complex field and logistical challenges that may not be fully captured in written reports. He assured participants that recommendations emerging from the pilot exercise would be treated as a priority and integrated into the final census design.
Based on preliminary observations from the monitors, Stats SL identified three major areas requiring urgent attention before the next phase of census preparations.
First, the census questionnaire will be reviewed and shortened to align with international best practices, ensuring efficiency and reducing respondent fatigue. Second, stakeholder engagement will be strengthened to better reflect country-specific needs, particularly in the collection of disability-related data and other vulnerable population indicators. Third, Stats SL plans to complete the full transition from Paper and Pencil Interviewing (PAPI) to Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), a move expected to significantly improve data quality, shorten interview time, and enhance real-time monitoring.
Providing a project status update, Director and National Census Coordinator Abdulai Salia Brima disclosed that preparations for the 2026 Census formally began in 2024 after a comprehensive project proposal was validated by UNFPA and the European Commission.
Despite operational and financial challenges, Brima reported that the programme remains on track. He highlighted the progress made since Sierra Leone conducted its first-ever digital census in 2021, particularly in public acceptance of digital enumeration and improvements in the CAPI system. He explained that the pilot census was intentionally designed to stress-test applications, systems, and field readiness under real conditions, in close collaboration with UNFPA and UNECA.
The Independent Monitoring team drawn from across Africa and beyond reported generally positive findings. Monitors observed strong enthusiasm and awareness among field staff, local authorities, and community stakeholders. Staffing levels were deemed adequate, and improvements in CAPI performance were widely acknowledged, including effective troubleshooting of technical challenges during field operations.
The diversity of the pilot areas was also praised, although monitors recommended the inclusion of an elite residential area in Freetown during future testing to ensure full socio-economic representation.
At the same time, the monitors flagged critical risks that must be addressed. These include limited use of operational data for day-to-day field management, a projected financing gap estimated at about USD 13 million, and the potential strain on Stats SL’s technical capacity due to overlapping national surveys such as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).
Independent Monitors are expected to submit their final individual reports to UNFPA and Stats SL, after which UNFPA will consolidate them into a single comprehensive assessment. In response, Stats SL plans to develop clear action plans, revise census tools and training manuals, and convene a data analysis and evaluation workshop to guide final preparations.
Closing the session, Deputy Statistician General Lansana Kanneh commended the monitors for their technical support, describing the pilot monitoring process as an innovative approach that gives Sierra Leone ample time to correct weaknesses before the main census.
He reaffirmed Stats SL’s commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and international best practices, stressing that the 2026 Population and Housing Census will be driven by national ownership and public trust guided by the principle of “a census by the people and for the people.”
With lessons from the pilot now clearly documented, stakeholders expressed confidence that Sierra Leone is laying a solid foundation for a credible, high-quality, and inclusive census in 2026.