Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery is set to export its first gasoline cargo outside West Africa, marking a significant milestone for the $20 billion facility.
A 90,000 metric ton shipment will depart for Asia on June 22, according to industry sources familiar with the transaction.
The refinery, which began gasoline exports last year, had previously supplied only regional markets. Trading firm Mercuria is handling the Asian-bound shipment, though company representatives declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The Dangote Group confirmed the sale, stating, “We sell to buyers offering the highest price, who may then transport products to their chosen destinations.”
Energy analysts view this development as evidence of the refinery’s growing global competitiveness. “This demonstrates Dangote’s emergence as an international gasoline supplier while maintaining sufficient production for Nigeria’s domestic market,” said Clementine Wallop of Horizon Engage. The 650,000 barrel-per-day facility, Africa’s largest refinery, represents a strategic shift in global fuel trade patterns as it begins supplying markets beyond its immediate region.
