Nigeria’s Dangote refinery is preparing to ship a 90,000 metric ton gasoline cargo to Asia, marking the first time fuel from the $20 billion facility will be exported outside West Africa, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deal.

The source, who spoke, according to Reuters, on condition of anonymity, said Swiss-based commodity trader Mercuria is scheduled to load the shipment on June 22. While the refinery has been exporting gasoline since it began operations last year, previous cargoes were routed only within West Africa.

Reuters, quoting a representative of the Dangote refinery, said the company remains open to selling its products wherever demand and pricing are most favourable.

“We sell our products to those who are willing to give us the highest price. It’s the buyer’s right to take the products to any destination of their choice,” the spokesperson stated.

Reuters reported that this latest development is being viewed by analysts as a potential shift in the refinery’s commercial strategy, signalling growing readiness to compete on a global scale.

Clementine Wallop, a director at Horizon Engage, a political risk consultancy, told Reuters that the decision reflects increasing confidence in the facility’s production stability. “This development shows the Dangote refinery’s growing global importance as a gasoline supplier, and the company’s confidence that production is now stable enough to meet Nigeria’s domestic needs,” Wallop said.

The Dangote refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is Africa’s largest and one of the most complex refining facilities globally. Since commencing limited operations in 2024, it has gradually scaled production and diversified its product slate. This export to Asia is being closely watched as a possible indicator of new trading patterns emerging from sub-Saharan Africa’s largest oil producer.