Stats SL and UNFPA Train Monitors for Mock Census

Stats SL and UNFPA Train Monitors for Mock Census

Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), convened an orientation session for Independent Monitors on July 16, 2026, at the UNFPA Sierra Leone Headquarters in Signal Hill. The event focused on preparing the monitoring team to oversee the upcoming 2026 Mock Population and Housing Census.

The orientation equipped participants with the essential knowledge, skills, and operational guidelines needed to effectively assess the mock exercise. Key areas of focus included monitoring methodologies, ethical standards, reporting procedures, and the critical importance of maintaining the credibility and transparency of the census process.

Kunle Adeniyi, the UNFPA Country Representative, emphasized the necessity of independent monitoring as a pillar for strengthening public confidence. He urged the monitors to execute their duties with professionalism, impartiality, and integrity.

Lansana Kpewolo Kanneh, Deputy Statistician-General of Stats SL, underscored the mock census’s role as a vital preparatory exercise for the national count scheduled for December 2026. He noted that the exercise will allow for rigorous testing of field operations, data collection instruments, logistics, and communication strategies.

Census field personnel are currently deployed across the six selected locations to begin household listing. The "Mock Census Night" is set for July 19, 2026, with the official enumeration process beginning the following day, July 20, 2026.

The session concluded with a renewed commitment from both Stats SL and UNFPA to ensure high standards of accountability throughout the process, with Independent Monitors expressing their readiness to support the delivery of a credible and high-quality national census.