The All Peoples Congress (APC) in Sierra Leone has raised concerns over operational and logistical failures in the training of enumerators for the 2026 Population and Housing Census. According to a press release issued on November 13, 2026, the party's monitors observed several challenges, including shortages of tablets and unannounced changes in training venues. The APC noted that these challenges require immediate attention from the Government of Sierra Leone, Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), and other stakeholders to ensure the credibility of the census.
The APC reported that several training centres nationwide have participants without access to the required tablets for practical Computer-Assisted Training. In Tonkolili District, 17 training halls reportedly had no tablets, while some centres did not receive the devices until the third day of training. This has resulted in trainees being allowed to sit their assessments using personal mobile phones, which the APC argues could undermine the uniformity, fairness, and reliability of the assessment.
The late distribution of tablets, inadequate equipment, and changes in training venues have deprived some participants of three to four days of meaningful training. The APC warned that this situation is demotivating trainees, with some reportedly leaving training centres daily because they believe their attendance is no longer worthwhile. This could result in the loss of qualified personnel already recruited for the exercise and disrupt the deployment of enumerators.
The APC also raised concerns over reports of disproportionately large Enumeration Areas (EAs), which determine the number of households assigned to enumerators and the resources needed. The party noted that EAs should be realistically manageable by individual enumerators within the stipulated enumeration period, taking into account population size, household concentration, and terrain. Excessive workloads could result in unequal assignments, incomplete household coverage, and inaccurate data.
The APC called on Stats SL to publish the methodology used in determining the size and distribution of EAs, including population and household estimates, geographical and demographic considerations, and workload assessments. The party also urged the statistics institution to explain the measures available to subdivide, adjust, or reassign oversized EAs before enumeration begins.
The APC recommended that Stats SL convene an emergency national stakeholder meeting and present a practical, time-bound recovery plan addressing tablet shortages, lost training days, and EA workloads. The party also called on the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to engage with Stats SL and support technical and operational interventions required. Parliament was urged to use its oversight committees to invite Stats SL to account for census preparedness and equipment distribution.
The APC stressed that its concerns should not be interpreted as opposition to the census, but rather as a call for necessary interventions to ensure its success. The party maintained that the census belongs to the people of Sierra Leone and should be protected by all stakeholders, warning that adequate preparation is essential to ensuring that every person is counted and that the resulting data can withstand technical and public scrutiny.
Key points
- The APC cited concerns over tablet shortages and training failures ahead of the 2026 census.
- The party called for immediate attention from the Government of Sierra Leone and Statistics Sierra Leone to address the challenges.
- The APC recommended an emergency national stakeholder meeting to present a recovery plan addressing the concerns.
