Sierra Leone is positioning itself at the forefront of digital statistical modernization as Andrew Bob Johnny, the nation’s Statistician General and Chief Census Officer, joins global data leaders at the ESRI National Geospatial Symposium (NGS) in San Diego.
The high-level symposium, running from July 13 to 17, 2026, operates alongside the world-renowned ESRI User Conference. The gathering brings together influential figures from international governments, academic institutions, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations to map out the future of cross-border and cross-institutional data collaboration.
Operating under the central theme, “Building Geospatial Ecosystems to Address Common Challenges,” this year’s event targets a major hurdle in global planning: breaking down organizational silos to build stronger, direct pipelines between data producers and the public. Over the course of the week, attendees will dive into technical workshops and panel sessions showing how advanced location intelligence can optimize public service delivery and state-level decision-making.
A major highlight of the itinerary includes a scheduled presentation by Mr. Johnny. He will showcase Sierra Leone’s evolving statistical framework, placing a spotlight on the strategic deployment of geographic information systems (GIS) to modernize the upcoming 2026 Sierra Leone Population and Housing Census.
For Statistics Sierra Leone, the summit is a timely opportunity to expand its network of international partners and integrate emerging geospatial technologies directly into its national data strategies. The agency is currently an active subscriber to ESRI’s Statistical Modernization Programme, actively leveraging a suite of enterprise tools—including ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Enterprise—to ensure the 2026 census achieves unprecedented levels of geographic accuracy, data integrity, and operational efficiency.
ABJ/APA