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Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has commenced high-level stakeholder engagement in the North West Region with courtesy visits to the Paramount Chiefs of Marampa and Koya Chiefdoms, as part of preparations for the ongoing cartographic mapping exercise ahead of the national census.
The delegation was led by the Regional Publicity Officer (RPO) for the North West Region, alongside the District Census Officer for Port Loko District, Mr Denis Ayo Jones. The team also included two chiefdom supervisors assigned to the exercise-Ms Anne Fatima Kamara for Marampa Chiefdom and Mr Alfred Joseph Conteh for Koya Chiefdom.
At the court of the Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom, PC Koblo Queen II, the RPO formally introduced the visiting team and explained the purpose of the visit to the Chief and his elders. He provided a detailed overview of the cartographic mapping exercise, outlining what cartographic mapping entails, the electronic systems being used, and the specific activities the mappers will undertake in various communities. He further emphasized Statistics Sierra Leone’s commitment to inclusivity through the involvement of all stakeholders in every phase of its operations.
Mr Denis Ayo Jones also briefed the gathering on the progress of the exercise nationwide and expressed confidence that the people of Marampa Chiefdom would fully embrace the process, as had been done in other chiefdoms. He formally sought permission to present Ms Anne Fatima Kamara to the Paramount Chief and the people of Marampa Chiefdom as the designated supervisor for the area.
Responding, Paramount Chief Koblo Queen II warmly welcomed the Statistics Sierra Leone team and officially granted approval for the supervisor to commence work in the chiefdom. He expressed appreciation to the Statistician General, management, and staff of Statistics Sierra Leone, commending the institution for adopting a fully digitised system from the cartographic mapping stage through to the completion of the census.
The Paramount Chief assured the team of his full support, pledging to inform section and sub-chiefs to ensure broad-based community participation in the census process. He also allayed concerns regarding the safety of field staff, guaranteeing that mappers would be protected and assisted, including support from local indigenes to access hard-to-reach areas.
During the engagement, other stakeholders raised questions regarding employment opportunities related to the census. In response, Mr Ayo Jones clarified that recommendations for census-related employment would be made through the Paramount Chief, in line with established procedures.
The visit underscores Statistics Sierra Leone’s commitment to strong community engagement and traditional authority collaboration to ensure a smooth, inclusive, and credible census process across the country.
