Civil Society Consortium Extols NPRA Boss’ Performance

The Civil Society Consortium on Petroleum (CSCOP) warmly congratulates Brima Baluwa Koroma, Director‑General of Sierra Leone’s National Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NPRA), for his outstanding contributions to the Global Expert Panel on Commodity Insight Conference on West African Refined Fuel Markets, held in Abuja, Nigeria, in July 2025.

The conference, which was hosted by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) under the leadership of CEO Faruq Ahmed, and in partnership with S&P Global, the conference convened top government officials, regional industry regulators, and global energy experts to develop a regional benchmark pricing formula for refined petroleum products across West Africa, and establish localized indices for petrol, diesel, fuel oil, and liquefied petroleum gas

Participating countries were selected based on demonstrated leadership in downstream reforms. Sierra Leone’s NPRA, re‑named and reformed under DG Koroma’s stewardship since 2018, was among the few invited for Sierra Leone’s Transformative Reforms.

Under Mr. Koroma’s tenure, NPRA has liberalized the downstream sector to attract new investors and infrastructure projects (e.g., Aminata Tank Farm, Conex Tank Farm refurbishment).

Adopted a transparent, World Bank supported pricing model, aligning Sierra Leone with regional benchmarks:

Burkina Faso: 29.92 SLL/L

Central African Republic: 36.97 SLL/L

Cape Verde: 27.33 SLL/L

Côte d’Ivoire: 30.10 SLL/L

The Gambia: 28.78 SLL/L

Senegal: 34.85 SLL/L

Malawi: 28.67 SLL/L

Guinea: 27.28 SLL/L

Sierra Leone: 27.30 SLL/L

These measures have enhanced market transparency, stabilized supply, and bolstered investor confidence.

Rebuttal of Edmond Abu’s Allegations

CSCOP is alarmed by the recent baseless accusations leveled by Mr. Edmond Abu, who claims DG Koroma paid civil society members to denigrate him. As a consortium dedicated to integrity and evidence‑based advocacy, we:

1. Demand Mr. Abu produce credible evidence of any payments or directives.
2. Refuse to dignify personal vendettas his grievance stems from being denied funds by NPRA’s Finance Director to cover hotel bills during a stakeholders’ meeting in Bo.

“We stand firmly behind DG Koroma and the remarkable reforms he has delivered for Sierra Leone’s downstream petroleum sector. Unfounded personal attacks will not derail our collective progress,” Alphoso Manley, Chairman of CSCOP, emphasized.