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21st August, 2025.
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PRESS RELEASE
Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) Commences Master Trainers’ Cartographic Training Ahead of Mapping Exercise
Freetown, August 21, 2025: Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is pleased to announce the official commencement of a robust and strategic training program for Master Trainers for the 2026 Population and Housing Census (PHC) cartographic mapping.
The training began yesterday, Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at the Saphyre Court Hall, Brookfields, Freetown, marking the first phase of a nationwide capacity-building program in preparation for the main census enumeration scheduled for December 2026.
Cartographic mapping is a vital pre-census activity that involves the systematic identification, delineation, and coding of Enumeration Areas (EAs) across the country. This process ensures that every household and community is accounted for in the upcoming census, which will provide Sierra Leone with up-to-date demographic, social, and housing data to guide policy-making, planning, and monitoring of national development priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Master Training (Level 1), which runs for seven days, will equip 54 personnel who will later cascade their knowledge through Levels 2 & 3 (regional and district trainings). A total of 660 field staff—including trainers, team leads, mappers, GIS specialists, and monitoring and evaluation officers—will benefit from the entire training program (Levels 1, 2, &3) nationwide.
Objectives of the Training
The training aims to:
- Equip trainers with technical skills for accurate digital field mapping using specialized tools such as EADPad and satellite base maps.
- Enhance knowledge of Sierra Leone’s census geography and coding systems.
- Build proficiency in GIS data management, quality assurance, and validation procedures.
- Prepare trainers to mentor and supervise mapping teams on ethical conduct, security responsibilities, and community engagement during fieldwork.
- Strengthen collaboration, reporting structures, and problem-solving skills in real-world mapping scenarios.
Speaking at the launch, the Statistician General of Sierra Leone, Andrew Bob Johnny, emphasized:
“The 2026 Population and Housing Census is a cornerstone of national planning. This training for Master Trainers is a decisive step toward ensuring that our mapping exercise is accurate, reliable, and inclusive. The skills gained here will cascade to every region and district, laying the foundation for a credible census that leaves no one behind.”
Following this national-level training, similar sessions will be conducted at regional and district levels, culminating in the full deployment of mapping teams across the country by September 2025.
Stats SL calls on the public, local authorities, and community leaders to support field officers during the mapping exercise to ensure a smooth and successful census preparation process.
For further information, please contact:
Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) – Communications & PR Unit – 030679762
