This guide provides helpful tips for calling Nigeria from the U.S. Learn how to make calls to Nigeria with confidence.
Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and most populous nation, with over 220 million people and a telecom sector serving 160+ million mobile subscribers. Whether you're closing a deal in Lagos, checking in with family in Abuja, or coordinating with a development team in Port Harcourt, knowing the country code Nigeria format saves you time and money.
The country code for Nigeria is +234. Every call from the U.S. to a Nigerian phone number — mobile or landline — starts with this code after the U.S. exit code.
Nigeria operates on West Africa Time (WAT), GMT+1 year-round — no daylight saving time changes.
| U.S. time zone | Offset from Nigeria | When it's 9 AM in Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (EST/EDT) | -6h (winter) / -5h (summer) | 3:00 AM / 4:00 AM ET |
| Central (CST/CDT) | -7h / -6h | 2:00 AM / 3:00 AM CT |
| Mountain (MST/MDT) | -8h / -7h | 1:00 AM / 2:00 AM MT |
| Pacific (PST/PDT) | -9h / -8h |
Check your connection quality. International calls travel through multiple network hops. A SIP trunking provider with a private IP network minimizes latency and jitter. Telnyx's Voice API documentation covers how to programmatically manage call quality.
Rates vary dramatically by method:
| Method | Typical rate per minute |
|---|
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Every international call from the U.S. starts with 011 (from a landline) or + (from a mobile phone). This tells your carrier you're dialing internationally.
After the exit code, dial 234 — Nigeria's internationally assigned country code.
This step depends on whether you're calling a mobile phone or a landline:
Mobile numbers start with 7, 8, or 9 and are 10 digits long (including the leading 0, which you drop for international calls). Example:
Landline numbers include a 1–2 digit area code followed by a 7-digit local number. Example:
| Call type | Format from U.S. | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 011 + 234 + 10-digit number (drop leading 0) | 011-234-8031234567 |
| Lagos landline | 011 + 234 + 1 + 7-digit number | 011-234-1-2345678 |
| Abuja landline | 011 + 234 + 9 + 7-digit number | 011-234-9-2345678 |
| Port Harcourt landline | 011 + 234 + 84 + 6-digit number | 011-234-84-234567 |
| City | Area code | Full dial from U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Lagos | 1 | 011-234-1-XXXXXXX |
| Abuja | 9 | 011-234-9-XXXXXXX |
| Port Harcourt | 84 | 011-234-84-XXXXXX |
| Kano | 64 | 011-234-64-XXXXXX |
| Ibadan | 2 | 011-234-2-XXXXXXX |
| Benin City | 52 | 011-234-52-XXXXXX |
| Enugu | 42 | 011-234-42-XXXXXX |
| 12:00 AM / 1:00 AM PT |
Best calling window: 8:00–11:00 AM ET lines up with 2:00–5:00 PM in Nigeria — ideal for business and personal calls.
Know the business culture. Nigerian professionals value formal greetings — use titles (Chief, Dr., Mr., Mrs.) until invited to do otherwise. English is the official language, though Nigerian Pidgin is widely spoken socially.
Have a backup plan for dropped calls. Network congestion in Nigeria can cause occasional drops during peak hours (10 AM–2 PM WAT). Check Telnyx's support guide on call troubleshooting if you experience persistent quality issues.
Consider a local Nigerian number. Getting a Nigerian virtual phone number lets your contacts dial a local number instead of paying international rates.
| Notes |
|---|
| Major U.S. carrier (AT&T, Verizon) | $0.25–$3.00/min | Pay-per-use rates are highest |
| Calling card | $0.02–$0.10/min | Watch for hidden fees |
| VoIP / SIP trunking | $0.01–$0.05/min | Best rates for businesses |
| WhatsApp / data call | Free (data only) | Requires internet on both ends |
Telnyx makes international calling to Nigeria simple and affordable. Our global private IP network routes calls across dedicated infrastructure — not the public internet — for carrier-grade voice quality at VoIP prices.
Talk to an expert about your international calling needs, or sign up and start calling Nigeria in minutes.
