Statistics Sierra Leone has received a new five-year grant of $4.1 million on 29 January 2023, at its national Headquarters at Tower Hill, Freetown.

The grant was given to Stats SL to enable them to fund a sequence of data presentation exercises that will run from 2023 to 2028, as part of the data smart agriculture initiatives.

Stats SL, which is the institution responsible for giving out credible data about activities in the country will work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FAO, and other allies to execute the Initiative in the country.

The Statistician-General and CEO of Stats SL, Professor Osman Sankoh (Mallam O) expressed satisfaction over the grant, adding that the grant will strengthen the nation’s statistics system through the collection of credible data.

He also recognized the Statistics Sierra Leone council for their continued support and he also complimented his colleagues in the administration and all staff for this new achievement.

“We are happy that we can attract top-notch institutions who see the need to fund us to produce credible data,” Professor Sankoh emphasized.

The Principal Statistician and head of agricultural statistics, Mohamed McNamara said he was delighted for the country to get this funding, adding that this funding will particularly enable the nation to improve on the existing agricultural data compilation exercises, in alliance with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The Director of National Accounts and Economic Statistics, Mwaluma Andrew Bryma Gegbe, said, since Agricultural presentation and Food Security are prerogatives of the Government, delivering the essential data that will help vital decision-making in the sector is the priority of Stats SL.

Andrew Bob Johnny, who happened to be the Deputy Statistician General applauded the Economic Statistics Division for working jointly with the administration on securing the grant.

He continued that this grant is one major bound in completing the work of Stats SL.
He added that the data produced by Stats SL is for both International donors and the government to undertake immediate intervention for the nation.

The 50×2030 Initiative brings together robust counterparts in Agricultural Development to decipher the problems of the agricultural data interval. It aims to bridge the international agricultural data void by converting country Data Systems to 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America by 2030. The Initiative prioritizes straightening up Country-Level data by creating strong national delegate survey programs.