Stats SL Receives 25,000 Tablets, Accessories to Power December 2026 Census
Sahid Bangura Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has received 25,000 tablets, power banks and protective cases as preparations intensify for the country’s fully digital 2026 Population and Housing Census (PHC), scheduled for December.
The equipment, procured with funding from the Government of Sierra Leone, will be used as the primary data-collection devices during the national enumeration exercise. The tablets will enable Census personnel to collect, validate and transmit information electronically from the field.
The latest consignment brings to 29,000 the number of tablets received by Stats SL for the Census programme, following the delivery of 4,000 tablets in 2025 for the national cartographic mapping exercise.
Stats SL said the new equipment marks a major milestone in its technical and operational preparations for the Census and will help strengthen the efficiency, accuracy and timeliness of the data-collection process.
The digital system is also expected to reduce reliance on paper questionnaires and manual data entry while allowing built-in validation features to help field personnel and supervisors identify and correct potential errors or inconsistencies during enumeration.
Speaking at the official receipt of the equipment were the Chief Technical Adviser for the 2026 Census, Dr. Colins Opiyo; Director of Communication and Public Relations, Samuel Ansumana; and Officer-in-Charge of Operations and Logistics, Moses Johnson.
They described the arrival of the tablets as an important step in preparations for the digital Census, noting that the devices will support field personnel in collecting, validating and transmitting data more efficiently.
Stats SL said it remains committed to conducting a credible, accurate, reliable and inclusive Census that captures the demographic and socio-economic realities of people and communities across Sierra Leone.
The institution is continuing to strengthen its systems, processes, technology and technical capacity ahead of the exercise, with the resulting data expected to support national planning, policymaking and evidence-based decision-making.
Stats SL has also called on the public to cooperate with Census personnel and provide accurate information to ensure that every household and person is properly counted.
Census Night is 1 December 2026, with enumeration scheduled to begin on 2 December 2026.
CENSUS 2026 — LEH DEN KONT YOU OOH!
