Stats SL Completes Mapping, Deploys Digital Systems Ahead of 2026 Census
Kanja Sesay Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has officially deployed the technology that will support the 2026 Population and Housing Census, marking another major step in preparations for the nationwide count scheduled for December.
The deployment, announced on October 7, 2026, includes 500 tablets for cartographic mapping, ArcGIS Pro software, GeoApp/EADPAD and advanced satellite imagery. According to information provided by Stats SL, the government has invested more than US$20 million in census preparations, including infrastructure, technology and logistics.
The 2026 exercise is expected to be conducted digitally, with enumerators using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) tools on tablets to collect census information.
The digital approach is intended to support faster and more efficient collection, transmission and processing of data.
Speaking during a recent stakeholder briefing, Statistician General Andrew Bob Johnny said pilot mapping and census tests had been completed, while systems for collecting, transmitting, storing and processing census information had also been developed and tested.
“Servers, satellite imagery and other technologies will support the digital exercise,” Johnny said.
The technological preparations also draw on lessons from the 2021 Mid-Term Population and Housing Census, which experienced logistical challenges, including issues surrounding the availability and arrival of tablets.
Stats SL has also completed the cartographic mapping exercise that began in October 2025.
The exercise involved identifying and delineating enumeration areas and systematically numbering localities and physical structures across Sierra Leone.
Johnny described mapping as a critical foundation for conducting an accurate census.
“Mapping is a crucial step in the census process. It allows us to plan effectively, allocate resources equitably, and ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.
He added: “The accuracy of the 2026 Census depends on the success of this very exercise.”
The mapping data will help Stats SL determine enumeration areas, deploy field personnel and organise census operations across the country.
Preparations have also included the development of training materials and testing of digital systems that will be used by census personnel.
Stats SL finalised Master Trainer manuals and digital quality-control tools in late September 2026, following a Mock Census conducted in July.
A team of 25 technical specialists reportedly worked on validating training materials and optimising CAPI tools and field-management procedures.
The Mock Census involved the training of 200 supervisors and enumerators across Freetown, Makeni and Bo, where tablets were used to test data collection systems, logistics and administrative procedures.
National Census Coordinator Abdulai Salia Brima said Stats SL deliberately trained more personnel than were immediately required to create a reserve pool.
“Although 174 supervisors and enumerators are required for the exercise, the institution decided to train 200 participants to provide a reserve pool,” he said.
As technical preparations continue, Stats SL is also intensifying public engagement ahead of the exercise.
Johnny stressed that cooperation from residents will be essential to ensuring an accurate count and encouraged the public to cooperate with authorised census personnel.
The 2026 Population and Housing Census is scheduled to run from December 2 to 16, 2026.
Information generated from the census is expected to support national and local planning, resource allocation and policy development across sectors including education, healthcare, infrastructure and social protection.
The December exercise is expected to provide updated demographic and socioeconomic information that government institutions, development partners and other stakeholders can use in planning programmes and allocating resources across Sierra Leone.