Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has officially launched a 10-day nationwide training on cartographic mapping, marking a critical step in preparations for the 2026 Population and Housing Census (PHC). The training involves 679 selected field staff from all 16 districts and is being held across five regional centres: Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Port Loko, and the Western Area.
The exercise is designed to equip participants with essential technical skills for the National Cartographic Mapping Exercise, a key foundational phase of the census. Trainees will focus on the demarcation of Enumeration Areas (EAs), mapping of infrastructure and settlements, and the identification of administrative boundaries. These activities are vital to ensuring complete national coverage and the credibility of the upcoming census.
The official launch of the training featured high-level participation from Stats SL leadership and development partners. In Kenema, Statistician-General and Chief Census Officer, Mr. Andrew Bob Johnny, delivered the keynote address, urging trainees to stay committed to the task and uphold professionalism throughout the process. He thanked the Government of Sierra Leone for its financial support and reiterated Stats SL’s determination to deliver a credible and high-quality census.
In Freetown, Stats SL Council Chairman, Mr. Moses L.J. Williams, emphasized the importance of discipline, neutrality, and national service. He informed trainees that only those who pass the final assessment at the end of the training will proceed to the deployment stage. Mr. Williams reminded participants to put aside political affiliations and serve with patriotism and integrity.
Deputy Statistician-General, Mr. Lansana Kpewolo Kanneh, addressed trainees in Makeni, encouraging them to take the exercise seriously and highlighting the rigorous selection process that brought them to this stage.
UNFPA Officer-in-Charge, Ms. Sibeso Mululuma, speaking at the Freetown training centre, highlighted the importance of the mapping phase in producing an accurate and inclusive census. She reiterated UNFPA’s technical support and praised the contributions of the Government of Ireland and the Irish Embassy. Ms. Mululuma called on other partners to support what she described as the most important data-gathering exercise a nation can undertake.
Other Stats SL Directors and Council members addressed training centres across the regions, reinforcing the agency’s values of data quality, transparency, accountability, and technological innovation.
Stats SL reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a professional and inclusive census process. With cartographic training now underway, the foundation is being laid for a successful 2026 Population and Housing Census that will support effective policy-making and equitable national development.
