The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strengthened Nigeria's presence in the regional energy market with the sale of 12 cargoes, totalling 456,000 tonnes (456KT) of refined petroleum products.

The shipments by traders, destined for countries such as Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana and Togo, represent the refinery's export of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) since achieving 650,000 barrels a day capacity in February.

The products were sold on a FOB (Free on Board) basis to the end international traders for deliveries to the above-identified countries of export.

The refinery confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday.

Daily Trust reports that a Bloomberg report on Friday last week revealed that African countries are increasingly turning to Nigeria's Dangote Refinery as a major alternative fuel source, as the ongoing conflict involving Iran continues to disrupt supplies from the Middle East.

Dangote, in the statement, said exporting petroleum products to other African countries "underscores the Dangote Refinery's capability to not only meet but exceed Nigeria's domestic fuel demands."

"It also demonstrates the refinery's growing role in supplying high-quality Euro 5 gasoline and diesel to West Africa -- a region long underserved and historically regarded as a dumping ground for lower-quality fuels, and other regions which have become destinations of exports."