By: Mohamed J. Bangura
The governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and opposition All People’s Congress (APC) have pledged to work together to promote public confidence and ensure the success of Sierra Leone’s 2026 Population and Housing Census, urging citizens to put national interests above political, religious and tribal differences.
The two major political parties made the commitment on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, during the opening ceremony of the Training of Master Trainers for the 2026 Population and Housing Census at Family Kingdom in Freetown.
Speaking at the ceremony, Leonard Balogun Koroma, Chairman of the APC 2026 Census Committee and former Minister of Transport and Aviation, reaffirmed the opposition party’s commitment to supporting the census throughout the nationwide enumeration exercise.
He assured Statistics Sierra Leone and its development partners that the APC was prepared to work constructively with the government and other stakeholders to ensure a credible and widely accepted census.
“My presence here this morning attests to the fact that the APC, the main opposition party, supports the census. And I want to give the assurance here this morning that we are making a commitment to take it to the final stretch,” Koroma said.
He stressed that the APC had no intention of undermining the exercise but was committed to contributing to its success through constructive engagement and public sensitization.
“We are not saboteurs. We don’t intend to sabotage this process. We intend to genuinely support it,” he added.
Koroma called on Statistics Sierra Leone to strengthen communication with political parties by responding promptly to enquiries, acknowledging official correspondence and maintaining regular consultations with opposition representatives.
He said sustained engagement and transparent communication would help address concerns, dispel rumours and build public confidence in the census.
Reflecting on challenges associated with previous census exercises, Koroma urged Statistics Sierra Leone to intensify public sensitization and mobilization ahead of the enumeration, noting that political parties had an important role to play in encouraging their supporters to participate.
He proposed joint sensitization activities involving the APC and SLPP, arguing that cooperation between the two parties would demonstrate that the census was a national exercise rather than a partisan undertaking.
Koroma also urged political actors to set aside their differences, including regional and ethnic divisions, during the census campaign.
“I want to assure you that the APC is on board, and I want to assure you that we will put off our political lens temporarily before 2028 and make sure that we have a credible census,” he said.
Similarly, the SLPP representative, Deputy Minister of Fisheries Saybom Kanu, pledged the governing party’s continued support for the census, describing it as a national responsibility that requires cooperation among political parties, religious leaders, traditional authorities, civil society organizations and citizens.
He commended Statistics Sierra Leone for bringing together stakeholders from different professional and political backgrounds to prepare for the exercise.
Kanu acknowledged that Sierra Leone’s transition to a fully digital census could present operational challenges, particularly in building the capacity of personnel. However, he maintained that effective training and the timely deployment of field staff would help address potential difficulties.
“One of the challenges is that while we envisage some challenges from the human side, early and effective training, including timely deployment of field staff, will mitigate the downside of going 100 per cent digital,” he said.
He emphasised that political competition should not undermine the census, noting that accurate population data was essential for effective governance and national development planning.
“Government and governance is a serious business. Census is part of that seriousness that we must uphold as a national exercise with a shared responsibility that goes beyond politics,” Kanu stated.
He urged political parties to encourage their supporters to welcome enumerators and provide accurate information during data collection, stressing that every community and citizen must be counted, regardless of geographical location or political affiliation.
Kanu also called on Statistics Sierra Leone and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to involve political parties in nationwide publicity and sensitization campaigns. He said this would enable parties to share accurate and non-partisan information with their members and supporters.
He further urged census officials to uphold professional and ethical standards to ensure the reliability, validity and credibility of the data collected.
In an appeal for national unity, Kanu called on Sierra Leoneans to ensure that political, religious and tribal differences did not stand in the way of a successful census.
“Let Sierra Leone shine in this census. Let no politics, no religion, no tribal divisions separate us as politicians during the census. Make we help Statistics Sierra Leone count the people them across the country, land that we love, our Sierra Leone,” he said.
The commitments by the APC and SLPP underscore the importance of political cooperation in building public trust as Statistics Sierra Leone prepares to conduct the census using digital technology.
The Training of Master Trainers is a key step in preparing census personnel to understand the procedures, technology and professional standards required to collect reliable population data.
With both major political parties pledging their support, attention will now turn to strengthening public awareness, preparing field personnel and encouraging citizens across the country to participate fully in the exercise.
The census is expected to provide essential demographic data to guide national development planning and help the government and its development partners better understand the needs of communities across Sierra Leone.