The Government of Sierra Leone will take its Civic Day Series to Waterloo on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to engage residents on redistricting and the upcoming 2026 Population and Housing Census.
The engagement, spearheaded by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education in collaboration with relevant government institutions and development partners, will take place at the Western Area Rural District Council (WARDC) Hall, starting at 10:00 a.m.
Organizers said the event would provide residents of Waterloo and surrounding communities with an opportunity to understand the two national exercises, ask questions and contribute to discussions on their implementation and implications for national planning and development.
The engagement is being organised in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA), Statistics Sierra Leone, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The 2026 Population and Housing Census is expected to provide essential data on the country’s population and housing conditions to guide policymaking, development planning and resource allocation. Redistricting, meanwhile, involves reviewing and reorganizing geographical boundaries for administrative and other national purposes.
Through the Civic Day Series, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education aims to increase public awareness, encourage citizen participation and strengthen communication between government institutions and the communities they serve.
Residents, community leaders, youth and women’s groups, and other stakeholders are expected to attend the engagement to seek clarification on the census and redistricting processes and share their views with representatives of the participating institutions.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen civic education and ensure that citizens have access to accurate and timely information about government policies, programmes and decisions that affect their lives.
To encourage participation, organizers have provided alternative channels for members of the public to submit questions ahead of the event. Citizens can send their questions by dialling the toll-free short code 818 on all mobile networks or through an online link provided by the ministry.
The engagement will also be streamed live on Facebook, allowing Sierra Leoneans who cannot attend in person to follow the discussions in real time.
The Civic Day Series is part of the ministry’s efforts to decentralize public engagement and promote informed participation in governance.
The Waterloo event will be held under the national campaign message #SaloneBigPasWiAll, which highlights collective participation in Sierra Leone’s development.