Stats SL to Deploy 537 Workers Nationwide for 2026 Census Mapping Exercise

Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) is set to commence a nationwide cartographic mapping exercise a crucial preparatory step for the 2026 Population and Housing Census. As part of this effort, over 537 workers will be deployed across the country.

According to a release from the headquarters of Statistics Sierra Leone in Freetown, dated 9 October 2025, the Eastern Region will have more than 100 workers, including one Regional Mapping Coordinator, four District Mapping Coordinators, three Data Quality Assurance Officers, eight Data Quality Assurance Assistant Officers, nineteen Supervisors, three Monitoring and Evaluation Officers, and ninety-five Mappers.

The cartographic mapping exercise aims to create detailed and accurate maps of enumeration areas. It will also guide the strategic deployment of census personnel and resources, ensuring that no individual or community is left uncounted or underrepresented.

The release follows a successful ten-day training session for mappers and other technical staff on digital mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which concluded on 1 October 2025.

With the exercise now underway, Stats SL says it is working diligently to ensure the success of the 2026 Census, which will provide essential data for national planning, policy-making, and development programming.