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Zala Petroleum Company has reduced the pump price of Diesel to Le39 per litre and Petrol to Le34 per litre, effective immediately.
The price reduction, confirmed by popular Sierra Leonean civil society activist Edmond Abu of the Native Consortium, undercuts the government-approved ceiling of NLe35 for petrol and NLe40 for diesel set by authorities in early April 2026.
Zala’s decision marks the second time this year the independent fuel marketer has broken ranks with official pricing. In late January, Zala reduced its pump price to Le26.50 per litre following a government announcement raising prices to NLe28.50. At that time, the company said the decision was intended to “support the economy and help cushion the rising cost of living.”
Edmond Abu, a vocal critic of the National Petroleum Regulatory Authority’s (NPRA) pricing mechanisms, took to public channels to confirm the latest development at Zala stations.
The activist has been at the forefront of challenging fuel pricing inconsistencies in recent weeks. On April 22, Abu publicly questioned why domestic pump prices had not been reduced when global oil prices dropped from approximately 110 to 88 per barrel during a ceasefire period between Iran and the United States.
“NPRA let me react to this your shadow boxing,” Abu said in a previous statement criticizing the regulator. “Did U reduce the pump price with the energy and speed the OMC pressure U to hike the price?”
The latest price cut comes amid heightened tensions between fuel marketers, regulatory authorities, and civil society over the government’s handling of fuel pricing.
On April 2, 2026, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education announced fuel price adjustments setting petrol at NLe35 per litre and diesel at NLe40 per litre, citing rising global market pressures. The government indicated it was subsidizing NLe1.10 per litre on petrol and NLe4.26 per litre on diesel to moderate the impact on citizens.
By late April, the NPRA revealed that the government was spending an estimated USD 2.6 million monthly on fuel subsidies to shield citizens from full market volatility. Without these subsidies, officials said petrol would cost NLe37 per litre and diesel NLe44 per litre.
Despite these measures, Sierra Leone continues to rank among African countries with the highest fuel prices. In May 2026, Global Petrol Prices data placed Sierra Leone fifth highest in Africa at approximately $1.779 per litre for gasoline, the most expensive in West Africa
