By Alvin Lansana Kargbo
The Government of Sierra Leone on Monday, 1st December 2025, formally launched the 2026 Population and Housing Census at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Aberdeen. The event also saw the unveiling of the Power of Data initiative and the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) Dashboard, three national instruments aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and evidence-based governance.
The ceremony drew Government Ministers, development partners, the diplomatic community, Civil Society, local councils, academia and students, signaling broad national support for credible data systems.
Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, representing President Julius Maada Bio, described the launch as a defining moment for Sierra Leone’s commitment to modern governance, transparent service delivery and evidence-based national planning. He stressed that the 2026 census, Sierra Leone’s first full decennial census since 2015, would restore the global ten-year cycle and provides the foundation for equitable resource allocation, informed planning and improved public services.
He emphasized that the census is not a political exercise but a national tool for fairness and development, helping the country understand its population size, distribution and living conditions. The Chief Minister said accurate data guide decisions on where to build schools and hospitals, deploy teachers and health workers, expand electricity and broadband connectivity, allocate development grants and design roads and infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also underscored the Government’s commitment to transparency, stating that confidentiality of all census information is guaranteed by law. He assured the public that no individual-level data will be shared with security agencies, tax authorities or political groups, and that only aggregated figures will be published further inviting citizens to participate fully, acknowledging that trust must be earned through openness and credibility.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, described the launch of the census, the MTNDP Dashboard and the Power of Data initiative as a major milestone in Sierra Leone’s development architecture. She said the three systems are interconnected and essential for building a data-driven nation where public decisions are based on evidence and citizens can openly track Government progress.
Madam Kenyeh Barlay noted that the census will provide the most comprehensive data on population distribution, housing conditions and community needs, enabling effective planning across health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, social protection and disaster preparedness. She added that local councils will, for the first time, access accurate data for targeted planning and advocacy.
On the MTNDP Dashboard, the Minister said it would allow citizens, policymakers, Parliament, civil society and development partners to monitor national development in real time. She further underscored that the Power of Data initiative represents a transformative shift in how Sierra Leone collects, manages and uses data across institutions.
Statistician-General, Andrew Bob Johnny, stated that Statistics Sierra Leone had undertaken extensive preparations to ensure a technically sound, internationally aligned census. He highlighted the ongoing national cartographic mapping, capacity-building programmes, and technical assessments conducted with the support of UNFPA, UNECA, and the U.S. Census Bureau. He noted that independent monitors and international observers are already in-country to guarantee transparency and validate processes.
UNFPA Representative, Kunle Adeniyi, reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting a credible census. He described the census as the “denominator of all national statistics” and essential for equitable allocation of resources and evidence generation. He said the pilot phase, independent monitoring and expert assessments were designed to ensure an accurate and widely accepted final count.
UNICEF Country Representative, Rudolf Shewent, focused on the newly launched National Development Tracker, describing it as a strategic step towards real-time performance monitoring and accountability. He said the dashboard would strengthen delivery on the government’s Big Five Game Changers and support child-focused development planning.
The 2026 Population and Housing Census is expected to provide the most reliable and comprehensive dataset for Sierra Leone’s long-term development. It will inform national and local planning, guide equitable distribution of resources, improve delivery of essential services, strengthen the national statistical system and ensure that development policies reflect the real needs of citizens across all districts and communities.
