Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has invited political representatives, technical and advisory committee members, development partners and the media to inspect 29,000 tablets procured by the government for the country’s upcoming digital census.
The inspection took place at the Stats SL headquarters in Freetown on Thursday, October 22, 2026, as the institution stepped up preparations for the national population count scheduled to begin on December 2.
Addressing stakeholders at the event, the Deputy Statistician General said the inspection was intended to demonstrate the institution’s readiness for the census and promote transparency and public confidence in the process.
He explained that the tablets, alongside power banks and protective cases, would support the digital enumeration exercise, building on work already undertaken during cartography and the pilot census.
According to the Deputy Statistician General, Stats SL had used an earlier batch of approximately 4,000 tablets during the preparatory stages, with about 2,000 deployed for cartography.
The experience enabled the institution to assess the devices’ battery performance, durability and mapping capabilities while identifying technical problems that required attention.
He said some of the earlier devices had experienced freezing and screen visibility issues, which were reported to the manufacturers for improvement. The upgraded tablets are expected to address these concerns and will undergo further testing during training and field exercises before the main enumeration begins.
The Deputy Statistician General also stressed the importance of public participation, urging political parties, development partners, the media and other stakeholders to work together to mobilise citizens and encourage cooperation with census officials.
He noted that the success of the census would depend not only on the availability of equipment but also on public understanding, trust and willingness to participate. He described the exercise as a national responsibility that transcends political and institutional affiliations.
Providing details of the inspection process, Operations Officer Mr. Johnson explained that the equipment had been received, offloaded and organised for verification. He said stakeholders would be allowed to select boxes randomly to facilitate inspection and ensure transparency.
Johnson further explained that each box contained 10 tablets and that the upgraded devices would be used for training and field testing ahead of the enumeration exercise.
The Deputy Statistician General also disclosed that training for master trainers was underway, with an online platform available to help participants familiarise themselves with the training materials. The programme will be followed by enumerator training to prepare personnel for deployment across the country.
He added that Sierra Leone’s census preparations were being conducted through a fully digital approach, including the use of digital mapping tools, updated satellite imagery and specialised software to identify streets and geographical locations.
Stats SL is also considering the use of Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) to facilitate the collection of information from eligible respondents in locations such as diplomatic missions abroad.
The institution said the ongoing preparations were aimed at strengthening the accuracy, efficiency and coverage of the census, while calling on all stakeholders to support public mobilisation ahead of the December 2 commencement.
The national exercise is expected to provide important population data to support planning, policymaking and development programmes across Sierra Leone.
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