The United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) Sierra Leone’s new Officer-in-Charge, Ibrahim Sambuli, says the UNFPA will continue to provide all necessary support to ensure the successful conduct of the 2021 Mid-Term Population and Housing Census, which was recently proclaimed by His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio.

Awoko reports that He made the remarks while paying a courtesy call on Sierra Leone’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Francis Kai-Kai, at his Tower Hill Office in Freetown.

“We wish to reassure the Government of Sierra Leone that we will continue to provide the necessary funds and technical skills for the 2021 Mid-Term Census. We also want the Minister to advise ways to improve our relationship with the government in the future,” he said.

Mr. Sambuli expressed his joy at the continuing regional popularisation and awareness-raising initiatives on the 2018 National Population Policy, which are being carried out in collaboration with the Ministry. He continued to remind the government of its obligations made at the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25), which took place on November 12th, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.

In his answer, Minister Kai-Kai welcomed the new Representative Ad-Interim in assisting the government, emphasising that the UNFPA has been a vital institution with which to cooperate, and that the government cherished its connection with UNFPA.

He stated that, despite the delay, the government had begun implementing the commitments made at the ICPD25 Summit in Nairobi, and that the respective government Ministries, particularly the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, were fully supporting the process in achieving these commitments, despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic remained a serious threat.

Dr. Kai-Kai commented on the Mid-Term Housing and Population Census, stating that it was a crucial activity for the government and that the government is appreciative for UNFPA’s assistance in ensuring the census’s success.

“We are delighted that the UNFPA’s principal work is the Census, and your presence with such skill was what I expected.” I look forward to your continuous assistance. We know you have the experience, and it is critical that we have UNFPA’s fingerprints on every area.

He urged UNFPA to help the Ministry’s Population Unit boost its production by providing institutional capacity.