By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE), has stepped up preparations for the 2026 Population and Housing Census by engaging senior editors and producers from leading newspapers, radio and television stations.

The high-level roundtable, held on Tuesday, 5th August 2025, at the Ministry’s Conference Room on the 8th Floor of the Youyi Building in Freetown, sought to strengthen collaboration with the media to ensure effective public communication and nationwide participation in the Census.

Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, underscored the media’s crucial role in the process, noting that the primary challenge for the 2026 Census will be preventing inflated household figures rather than undercounting, a concern raised during previous exercises.

“This roundtable marks the first step in deepening our partnership with the media. You are not just observers; you are owners of this process,” the Minister said, urging Sierra Leoneans to participate fully and truthfully under the official slogan: “2026 Census: Leh Den Count You Oh!”

Stats SL’s Director of Communication and Public Relations, Samuel Ansumana, reported that the Pilot Cartographic Mapping was completed in July, with training for the main mapping phase starting on the 12th August, followed by fieldwork. The mapping will divide the country into enumeration areas ahead of the Pilot Census in December 2025.

He called on the media to champion the process, stressing that public trust and participation are key to producing credible, inclusive and data-driven results.

The meeting ended with an interactive Q&A session, reinforcing a shared commitment to delivering a transparent and people-centered 2026 Census. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/stats-sl-moice-engage-media-to-boost-public-participation-in-2026-census/