By Josephine Sesay

The Director General of Sierra Leone’s National Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Brima Baluwa Koroma, has called for bold reforms and deeper regional collaboration in Africa’s downstream petroleum sector. His remarks came during the inaugural African Downstream Petroleum Regulators Association Conference, held in Abuja, Nigeria.

The high-level event, hosted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in collaboration with Platts S&P Global Commodity Insights and the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA), brought together regulators, refiners, traders, and infrastructure operators from across the continent, the central goal to foster a more unified and integrated regulatory approach to Africa’s fuel markets.

My gratitude goes to NMDPRA and its partners for creating this platform, Koroma said, the objective to harmonize fuel pricing across the region using a common benchmark is both timely and necessary,

Koroma highlighted that inconsistent laws, standards, and policies among West African nations continue to hamper cross-border fuel trade, infrastructure development, and investment flows, he emphasized the urgent need for a unified regional regulatory framework and a common reference pricing system to enhance market efficiency and resilience.

As regulators, we face common challenges volatile global oil prices, frequent supply chain disruptions, limited storage capacity, and fragmented regulations, he noted, A harmonized pricing model and coordinated policy approach are essential to building a robust, integrated energy market across Africa.

The NPRA Director General also affirmed Sierra Leone’s strong support for the newly established African Downstream Petroleum Regulators Association, describing it as a critical platform for coordination, transparency, and shared strategic vision.

This initiative will boost investor confidence, drive infrastructure financing, improve data sharing, and expand regional market access, Koroma added, the road ahead is challenging, but through collaboration, we can create a stronger, more stable petroleum sector across the continent.

The conference marks a major step toward regulatory convergence, aiming to reduce fuel price volatility, attract private sector participation, and ensure affordable and consistent fuel supply for African consumers.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday,30th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)