A 90,000 metric ton cargo of gasoline from Nigeria's Dangote refinery will be sold out of the region for the first time and bound for Asia, a source familiar with the matter said.

Since the 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery started gasoline exports last year, the cargoes have stayed in west Africa. Mercuria is due to load the cargo on June 22, the source said.

"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," a spokesperson for the Dangote refinery said.

The $20 billion refinery on the outskirts of Lagos, built by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, began operations in January last year with output of products including naphtha and jet fuel. The refinery has faced numerous challenges.

With a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, Africa's largest refinery promises to ease oil producer Nigeria's costly reliance on imported oil products.