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Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), through its Directorate of Communication and Public Relations, has convened a high-profile engagement meeting with radio presenters, continuity announcers, radio and club DJs nationwide as part of its efforts to strengthen public awareness and popularisation of the 2026 Population and Housing Census.
Discussions focused on census communication goals, the role of media practitioners in national development campaigns, and innovative ways radio presenters, continuity announcers, and DJs can help amplify census participation, particularly among youth, rural communities, peri-urban settlements, and vulnerable groups. Participants also provided valuable inputs and recommendations aimed at strengthening partnerships for national initiatives such as Census 2026.
Samuel Ansumana, Director of Communication and Public Relations at Statistics Sierra Leone, highlighted the critical role played by radio presenters, continuity announcers, and DJs in shaping public opinion and driving awareness on national issues.
He described them as key youth and community platforms, noting that the meeting was intended to reinforce collaboration between Stats SL and media influencers ahead of the 2026 Population and Housing Census, including the ongoing cartographic mapping exercise.
Ansumana informed participants that Census Night is scheduled for 1st December 2026, with enumeration taking place from 2nd to 14th December 2026.
Furthermore, Abdulai Salia Brima, National Census Coordinator and Director of Censuses and Demographic Information Systems at Statistics Sierra Leone, underscored the importance of the census in collecting critical data on population characteristics, living conditions, and households. He stressed that census data will support government and development partners in planning and improving infrastructure, education, and overall socio-economic development. Brima encouraged radio presenters, continuity announcers, and DJs to develop a joint proposal outlining practical strategies for reaching every nook and cranny of Sierra Leone with census messages—an idea that received unanimous support from participants.
Participants from both urban and regional stations expressed deep appreciation to Statistics Sierra Leone’s management for what they described as a historic engagement, noting that it was the first time radio presenters, continuity announcers, radio and club DJs had been formally engaged in census planning and promotion in Sierra Leone.
