Sierra Leone buys census tablets with national funds
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Andrew Bob Johnny, Statistician General of Statistics Sierra Leone, announced that the government of Sierra Leone purchased 29,000 tablets for the 2026 Population and Housing Census.
The purchase fulfilled a key need for the upcoming national exercise and removed concerns about relying on borrowed equipment. President Bio, the government, and citizens of Sierra Leone funded the tablets directly. Johnny explained the tablets are now in the custody of Statistics Sierra Leone.
He also stated that completing national cartographic mapping, identifying communities and dividing the country into manageable areas, represented another important step in preparing for the census. This mapping provides the framework for assigning staff and tracking coverage. The Statistician General cautioned that technology alone would not guarantee success, and emphasized the need for well-trained personnel. A ten-day training workshop for census master trainers and data quality managers was underway to prepare staff to use the tablets and follow proper procedures.
Johnny urged trainers to focus on consistency, professionalism, and respectful treatment of respondents. The census is scheduled to begin December 2, 2026, with Census Night on December 1. Statistics Sierra Leone will keep collected information confidential and use it for planning and resource allocation.
