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Statistics Sierra Leone is facing allegations of intellectual property misuse following the recent launch of the 2026 Population and Housing Census.
According to a complaint raised by local graphic designer Abdul Bilal M. Koroma, his logo design, submitted as part of a public call for submissions earlier this year, was used without his consent or proper attribution.
In May 2025, Statistics Sierra Leone had announced a public competition for graphic designers to submit logo concepts for the upcoming census.
Koroma, a Sierra Leonean designer, participated in the competition, submitting what he described as a “well-designed logo in good faith,” hoping for a transparent and fair evaluation process.
However, Koroma expressed frustration that, despite submitting his design in accordance with the competition guidelines, he received no feedback or official communication regarding the status of his submission.
To his shock, the same logo he had submitted was prominently displayed during the launch event of the 2026 census, reportedly without his permission or any acknowledgment of his work.
In response to these developments, Koroma is seeking clarification from Statistics Sierra Leone on the following issues: whether his design was formally selected in the competition, if participants were notified of the outcome, and if proper consent was sought before using the artwork for the census launch.
