It is no longer news up for another head count in Sierra Leone. The relevance and importance of head counts in national planning cannot be over emphasized. Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), the national body charged with conducting our census is no doubt up to the task. It has expressed its readiness at different times since the announcement was made by government. What is tasking however is the humongous amount the agency has put forward as our bill for that exercise. For it to execute the census slated for next fiscal year, Stats SL is requesting a whopping $37 million in funding. Certainly, more like a head count with prospects for serious headaches that could take lots to heal economically.

The need for accurate and up-to-date demographic data is undeniable. Collected data informs decisions on healthcare, education, infrastructure, and electoral processes, helping ensure equitable distribution of resources across the country. It's equally a catalyst in determining aid allocation and monitoring progress towards development goals. However, the announcement of this huge bill is unsettling. Observers are worried that spending a whopping $37 million on a census would distract and divert resources from equally tangible but heavily pressing areas of need in the country. The food crisis is universal, but we can devise local means to arrest the trend. Poverty is at a feverish point. A few ideas in terms of palliative and poverty reduction schemes can provide big immediate relief. And many more, of course, interventionist projects would cost a lot to implement but then a fraction of the proposed head count bill could go into financing some of the aforementioned projects as opposed to expending same on just a head count. We have heard talks about how crucial the head count is, but how crucial can it really be at this time of economic challenges?

Essentially, the timing of this has been a sore point of contention. Citizens are grappling with the effects of the economy viz: high cost of living, high cost of transportation, high taxations and exorbitant cost of essentials like rice - our staple food, iron, cement etc.

That the government faces difficulty in meeting basic financial obligations is no secret even as a significant proportion of the national budjet is reliant on foreign aid and loans. The census bill therefore is seen by many as a strain on already stretched public resources. It is coming at a time when the country is in dire need of investments in healthcare, education, and infrastructure, sectors that directly impact the quality of life for millions of Sierra Leoneans. Our point is that the state should have proper re-think on this for the following reasons amongst others:

Sierra Leone is a developing nation with pressing social and economic issues, including poverty, health challenges, and education deficits. Allocating a whopping $37 million for a head count could lead to a headache. Rather the state should look in the direction of expending that humongous sum on immediate, life-saving interventions, such as improving healthcare services, infrastructure and addressing food insecurity.