AYV News, November 11, 2026
The All People’s Congress (APC) 2026 Census Technical Committee, led by its Chairman, Hon. Leonard Balogun Koroma, has commenced a three-week nationwide sensitisation and public awareness tour ahead of Sierra Leone’s 2026 Population and Housing Census (PHC), beginning in Kailahun District in the Eastern Region.
The tour officially kicked off on November 10, 2026, with the delegation engaging community stakeholders, traditional leaders and residents on the importance of the forthcoming census and the need to ensure that every person living in Sierra Leone is counted.
Addressing participants at the launch, Hon. Koromaemphasised that the census should not be viewed as a political exercise but rather as a critical national development process that will shape the country’s future.
He explained that accurate population data is essential for effective national planning, equitable resource allocation, constituency demarcation and the provision of basic services, including schools, hospitals, roads and employment opportunities.
The APC Census Technical Committee Chairman also provided clarification on Census Night, which serves as the official reference point for determining who will be counted.
He explained that everyone living in Sierra Leone on Census Night will be included, regardless of nationality. This includes babies born on Census Night and travellers within the country. However, individuals who die on or before Census Night will not be counted, while those alive on Census Night but who die before 7:00 a.m. on December 2 will still be included.
Hon. Koroma further assured residents that information provided to census enumerators would be treated with strict confidentiality and used exclusively for statistical, planning and development purposes.
He also disclosed that call centres would be established during the enumeration period to provide information, respond to public concerns and address questions relating to the census exercise.
The Chairman urged household heads to cooperate fully with enumerators by providing accurate demographic, social and economic information about members of their households, as well as details about their housing conditions.
He said the APC established the Census Technical Committee because of the importance the party attaches to credible population data and the need to ensure that no Sierra Leonean is left uncounted.
The meeting was chaired by APC Kailahun District Chairman Ensah Jajua and attended by former Regional Chairman Maya Kai Kai, constituency chairmen and secretaries, as well as ward executive members.
Following the engagement in Kailahun, the delegation is scheduled to proceed to Kenema before visiting Pujehun and Bo on November 11 as the nationwide sensitisation exercise continues across the country.
The regional coordination of the tour will be undertaken by Joseph Saidu Sesay for the North, Samuel Turay for the North-West, Abdul Karim Kamara Esq. for the South and Martha K. Koroma for the East. At the national level, the exercise will be led by Hon. Leonard Balogun Koroma as Chairman, alongside Secretary Peter Bangura.
Concluding his address, Hon. Koroma urged Sierra Leoneans to take the census exercise seriously, stressing that accurate population data is fundamental to national development.
“To be counted is to be seen, to be planned for, and to be part of the future of Sierra Leone,” he stated.
The three-week tour is expected to cover all districts, providing an opportunity for the APC Census Technical Committee to engage communities, explain the census process and encourage public participation ahead of the 2026 Population and Housing Census.
