The League of Civil Society Groups has thrown its weight behind the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), praising its role in stabilising Nigeria’s post-subsidy fuel market and warning against what it described as harmful smear campaigns.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the group’s president, Mohammed Basah, commended the NMDPRA for strengthening regulatory transparency and improving investor confidence under the leadership of Engr. Farouk Ahmed.

Basah warned that repeated public attacks on the agency could unsettle potential investors and slow down recent gains in the sector. “Nigeria’s petroleum market is at a critical turning point. The NMDPRA has brought professionalism and fairness into regulation, this is the time to support, not sabotage, the process,” he said.

He credited the agency with major steps forward, such as tackling subsidy-related fraud, ensuring better fuel quality, and creating a more attractive environment for private investments, particularly in modular refining and fuel distribution.

His comments come amid ongoing calls from some quarters for investigations into the agency, as well as protests led by lawyers and activist groups.

Despite the controversy, Basah urged stakeholders to avoid actions that could damage investor trust and derail the energy sector’s reform momentum.