What is the country code for Nigeria?

Nigeria's country code is +234, assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). You dial it immediately after Canada's exit code (011) or the + symbol on a mobile phone.

Do I need to dial 011 before calling Nigeria from my Canadian mobile?

On a mobile phone, you can use the + symbol instead of 011. Both achieve the same result — they signal an international call. So +234 XXX XXX XXXX works from any Canadian mobile.

Why do I need to drop the 0 from a Nigerian number?

The leading 0 is Nigeria's national trunk prefix, used only for domestic calls within Nigeria. When dialling internationally with +234, the trunk prefix is not needed and will cause the call to fail if included.

How much does it cost to call Nigeria from Canada with Sayfone?

Sayfone offers calls to Nigeria at $0.34 per minute with transparent per-minute pricing. You can call directly from your browser — no app download required.

What time should I call Nigeria from Canada?

Nigeria is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Canada during daylight saving time (EDT) and 6 hours ahead during standard time (EST). A good window for personal calls is 8–11 AM Eastern, which is early-to-mid afternoon in Nigeria.

Did Nigerian landline numbers change recently?

Yes. In 2023, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) updated all fixed-line area codes by prepending '20'. For example, Lagos changed from area code 1 to 201, and Abuja from 9 to 209. The old formats are no longer valid as of January 2024.

How many digits is a Nigerian phone number?

After the country code +234, both mobile and fixed-line numbers in Nigeria are 10 digits long. Domestically (with the leading 0), numbers are 11 digits. If your number doesn't match this length, verify it with your contact.

Can I call Nigerian mobile and landline numbers the same way?

Yes. The dialing process from Canada is the same for both: 011 + 234 + local number (without the leading 0). The only difference is the prefix after the country code — mobile numbers use network prefixes like 803 or 810, while landlines use geographic area codes like 201 (Lagos) or 209 (Abuja).

Quick Answer

How to Call Nigeria from Canada

From Canada, dial 011 + 234 + the Nigerian number without its leading 0. For mobile phones, you can also use +234 instead of 011-234. Sayfone offers calls to Nigeria from $0.34/min with transparent per-minute pricing — call directly from your browser.

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Cost tools

🇨🇦From Canada

To Nigeria🇳🇬

$0.34

Per minute

+234

Country code

Call quality

Landline rate

$0.34/min

Mobile rate

$0.34/min

Same per-minute Sayfone rate for landline and mobile.

Average call quality

Whether you're reaching family in Lagos, friends in Abuja, or business contacts across Nigeria, the dialing process is straightforward once you know the format.

Steps at a glance

Dial 011 (Canada's exit code) or use + on a mobile phone
Dial 234 (Nigeria's country code)
Dial the local Nigerian number, dropping the leading 0
Example: to call 0803 123 4567 in Nigeria, dial 011-234-803-123-4567

Sources

1
ITU – Nigeria Country Code +234 Numbering Plan
Confirms +234 as Nigeria's country code and national prefix rules
2
NCC – National Numbering Plan
Official NCC numbering resource for Nigeria

DIALING GUIDE

Step-by-Step: Call Nigeria from Canada

Follow these steps to connect your call to any Nigerian mobile or landline number from anywhere in Canada.

1
Dial Canada's exit code
From a landline, dial 011. From a mobile phone, you can press and hold 0 or simply enter the + symbol, which replaces the exit code.
```
011 or +
```
2
Dial Nigeria's country code
Enter 234 immediately after the exit code. This routes your call to Nigeria's telephone network.
```
011-234 or +234
```
3
Drop the leading 0 and dial the local number
Nigerian numbers start with 0 when dialled domestically (e.g., 0803 for a mobile, 0201 for a Lagos landline). When calling from Canada, omit that leading 0 and dial the remaining digits.
```
For 0803 123 4567 → dial 803 123 4567
```
4
Complete the call
The full sequence from Canada is: 011 + 234 + local number (without leading 0). For mobile callers using the + prefix: +234 followed by the local number without the 0.
```
011-234-803-123-4567 or +234-803-123-4567
```

Dialing format reference

+234

Use these patterns when entering a full international number to +234.

Mobile

+234 XXX XXX XXXX (10 digits after country code)

Landline

+234 XXX XXX XXXX (area code + subscriber number, 10 digits total after country code)

+234 803 123 4567 (mobile)
+234 201 234 5678 (Lagos landline)
+234 209 234 5678 (Abuja landline)

Major city area codes

Lagos201

Abuja209

Ibadan202

Port Harcourt2084

Kano2064

Sources

1
ITU – Nigeria Country Code +234 Numbering Plan
Confirms national prefix '0' must not be dialled from abroad
2
NCC – Area Codes by Zone & Primary Centre
Official list of Nigerian area codes
3
Wikipedia – Telephone numbers in Nigeria
Reference for updated 2023 fixed-line numbering format

IMPORTANT RULES

Key Dialing Rules for Canada to Nigeria Calls

Keep these formatting rules in mind to avoid failed connections when calling Nigerian numbers from Canada.

Always drop the leading 0

Nigeria's national prefix 0 is only used for domestic calls. When dialling from Canada, replace it with +234. For example, 0803 becomes +234 803.

Nigerian mobile numbers are 10 digits after +234

After the country code, Nigerian mobile numbers have 10 digits (e.g., 803 123 4567). Common mobile prefixes include 803, 806, 802, 810, 903, and 701. If your number has fewer or more digits, double-check it.

Fixed-line area codes were updated in 2023

The NCC added '20' to the beginning of all geographic area codes in 2023. Lagos changed from 1 to 201, Abuja from 9 to 209, and Ibadan from 2 to 202. The new format ensures fixed-line numbers are also 10 digits after the country code, matching mobile numbers. If you have an old landline number, prepend 20 to the area code.

Use 011 from a Canadian landline

Canada's international access code (exit code) is 011. If you're calling from a mobile phone, you can use the + symbol instead of 011. Both methods work the same way.

Some special numbers may not work internationally

Short codes and certain special service numbers in Nigeria (such as emergency numbers) are intended for domestic use only and typically cannot be reached from outside the country.

TIMING & TIPS

Best Times to Call Nigeria from Canada

Nigeria uses West Africa Time (WAT, UTC+1) year-round and does not observe daylight saving time. Canada spans multiple time zones and observes DST in most provinces, so the offset varies by season and location.

🇳🇬

The examples below use Eastern Time (Toronto/Ottawa) as a reference, since a large share of Canada's Nigerian diaspora lives in Ontario. Adjust by 1–3 hours for other Canadian time zones.

Time & windows

Nigeria (WAT)

UTC+1 year-round

No daylight saving time

Canada (Eastern)

UTC−5 (EST) / UTC−4 (EDT)

DST observed Mar–Nov in most provinces

Typical offset

5–6 hours

Nigeria is 5 h ahead during EDT, 6 h ahead during EST

🇨🇦Morning call to Nigeria

6–8 AM ET → 11 AM–1 PM WAT (EDT) / 12–2 PM WAT (EST)Reaches Nigeria during the early afternoon — good for business calls

🇨🇦Evening call to Nigeria

5–8 PM ET → 10 PM–1 AM WAT (EDT) / 11 PM–2 AM WAT (EST)Late night in Nigeria — better for personal calls if your contact keeps late hours

🇨🇦Weekend catch-up

8–11 AM ET → 1–4 PM WAT (EDT) / 2–5 PM WAT (EST)Afternoon in Nigeria — a relaxed window for family calls

Calling tips

Confirm your contact's specific time zone within Nigeria — the entire country uses WAT (UTC+1), so there's no internal variation.
Canada's DST shift in March and November changes the gap by one hour. Double-check the offset around those dates.
If you're in British Columbia (Pacific Time), Nigeria is 8–9 hours ahead, so morning calls work better.
With Sayfone at $0.34/min, you can call Nigeria from your browser without worrying about per-call overhead — transparent per-minute pricing applies.

Business etiquette

Nigerians generally appreciate a warm greeting before getting to business. Starting with 'How are you?' or 'Good afternoon' is customary.
Standard business hours in Nigeria are roughly 8 AM–5 PM WAT, Monday through Friday.
If calling during Ramadan or major national holidays (such as Independence Day on October 1), be mindful that schedules may shift.

Sources

1
timeanddate.com – Toronto to Lagos time conversion
Confirms current offset between Toronto and Lagos

TROUBLESHOOTING

Common Issues When Calling Nigeria from Canada

If your call isn't connecting, these are the most likely causes and fixes.

Call fails immediately

Most likely you forgot the exit code (011) or included the leading 0 from the Nigerian number. The correct format is 011-234-XXX-XXX-XXXX, where the X digits do not include a leading 0.

Wrong number or unexpected recipient

Nigerian fixed-line area codes changed in 2023 — '20' was prepended to all geographic codes. If you have an old Lagos number starting with 1, it is now 201. Update your contact's number accordingly.

Call connects but drops quickly

Network congestion can occur on Nigerian mobile networks, especially during peak hours. Try calling again after a few minutes, or try at a different time of day.

Canadian carrier blocks the call

Some Canadian phone plans restrict international dialing by default. Contact your carrier to confirm international calling is enabled on your account, or use a browser-based service like Sayfone to bypass carrier restrictions.

Savings

See what you could save

Adjust the tools below to compare Sayfone with typical retail pricing for calls to Nigeria. Start with one call, then layer on monthly volume to see the bigger picture.

How to use these tools

Sayfone uses your live rate for calls to Nigeria — the same basis as the rest of this page.
First, estimate savings on a single call length. Then, model a full month of minutes versus typical retail benchmarks.
Retail competitor rows are illustrative — not a quote from any carrier.