Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and one of its liveliest: a huge commercial capital on the coast, a planned capital in the centre, rainforest and creeks in the south and dry savanna stretching towards the Sahara in the north. Most visitors come for business, family or the music, food and art scene of Lagos. The country runs on one clock all year, and its seasons are set by the rains and the dusty harmattan wind.
Nigeria for visitors
Lagos, the former capital and by far the biggest city, is where most international trips begin. It spreads across islands, lagoons and mainland along the Gulf of Guinea, with business districts on Victoria Island and Ikoyi, beaches and new suburbs along the Lekki peninsula, and markets, galleries and live-music venues across the city. The Lagos city guide covers its climate in detail.
Abuja, the capital since the government moved inland, is a planned city in the centre of the country, greener and more spread out than Lagos, framed by large granite outcrops such as Aso Rock and, just outside the city, Zuma Rock.
Beyond the two big cities
The south-west is the Yoruba heartland, with the old cities of Ibadan and Abeokuta and the sacred forest grove of Osun-Osogbo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the south-east, Calabar is known for its relaxed pace, its colonial-era history and a big street carnival at the end of the year, and the cool Obudu Plateau nearby is a rare upland escape. The north has a different feel: the old walled city of Kano with its dye pits and markets, the Jos Plateau with a milder climate, and Yankari National Park, with savanna wildlife and warm springs.
Getting around
Distances are large, and most visitors fly between the main cities on domestic airlines. Modern rail lines link Lagos with Ibadan and Abuja with Kaduna, and long-distance buses cover the rest of the country. In Lagos, traffic can make short distances take a long time, so ferries across the lagoon and ride-hailing apps are worth knowing about; plan meetings with generous margins.
Time in Nigeria
Nigeria has one time zone, West Africa Time (WAT); its IANA identifier, Africa/Lagos, is named after Lagos. It is UTC+1 all year: the country does not use daylight saving time, so the clocks never change.
Right now Abuja is 1 hour ahead of London, 6 hours ahead of New York and 1 hour behind Johannesburg. During the European summer, Nigeria and the United Kingdom show the same time; in the European winter Nigeria is an hour ahead. That makes calls with Europe easy all year, while the US East Coast is several hours behind.
Because the whole country lies in the tropics, day length changes little through the year. In Abuja the sun sets at about 18:51 in June and 18:16 in December. Flights from Europe cross few or no time zones, so jet lag is rarely a problem; from the Americas or Asia, plan an easy first day.
Climate and weather
Nigeria is tropical throughout, but the climate changes a lot from south to north. The coast and the south have a humid climate with a long wet season and two rainfall peaks, and the rainforest and mangrove creeks of the Niger Delta are wet for most of the year. Moving north, the rainy season gets shorter and the dry season longer, through the savanna of the middle belt, where Abuja is, to the semi-arid Sahel near the border with Niger. The north is the hottest part of the country before the rains arrive, and the Jos Plateau is noticeably cooler because of its altitude.
In the south-west, the rain usually comes in two seasons: a long one from about April to July and a shorter one in September and October, with a drier pause in August. In Lagos, average highs range from 29°C in August to 34°C in February, and the city gets about 1,549 mm of rain a year. The wettest month in Lagos is June, with about 291 mm.
- Lagos
Show the numbers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagos | 24 | 44 | 71 | 142 | 205 | 291 | 195 | 72 | 206 | 183 | 94 | 23 |
Further north there is a single rainy season in the middle of the year, and in the far north it lasts only a few months.
The harmattan
From late in the year to early in the next, the harmattan, a dry north-easterly wind from the Sahara, blows across the country. It brings dust, hazy skies and very dry air. In the north it can also bring cool nights and mornings; in the south its effect is weaker and more variable. In some years the haze is thick enough to delay flights.
Best time to visit Nigeria
The dry season, roughly from November to February, is the most comfortable time for most of the country: roads are drier, there is less risk of flooding, and the north is at its least hot. The harmattan can make skies hazy for days at a time in this period, and the air dry enough to need lip balm and eye drops.
December is the busiest month, especially in Lagos and Calabar. Many Nigerians living abroad come home for the holidays, the cities fill with concerts, parties and festivals, and flights and hotels book up early.
The rainy season is more challenging, especially in the south, where heavy downpours can flood streets and slow traffic for hours. If you have to travel then, the August break in the south-west usually brings a few drier weeks. In the north, the hottest stretch comes just before the rains, so it is the least comfortable time to travel there.
Practical facts
- Capital: Abuja.
- Population: about 228 million (UN World Population Prospects 2024, 2023 estimate).
- Currency: Nigerian naira (NGN). Bank cards, transfers and payment apps are widely used in the cities, but cash is still needed for markets, small shops and transport, and card acceptance varies.
- Language: English is the official language and is widely spoken, alongside Hausa in the north, Yoruba in the south-west and Igbo in the south-east, among hundreds of other languages. Nigerian Pidgin is heard everywhere, especially in the south.
- Calling code: +234.
- Tipping: not compulsory. Some upmarket restaurants and hotels add a service charge; elsewhere a small tip for good service is appreciated.
- Driving: on the right. Most visitors use a car with a driver or ride-hailing apps rather than driving themselves.
- Emergency number: 112 for ambulance, fire and police ([1]).
Plan your trip with hoyoopin
- Lagos city guide: the two rainy seasons and the August break, flooding, the harmattan, what to pack and how West Africa Time compares with the rest of the world.
- World Clock: Nigeria's time next to your own and other cities.
- Weather: live conditions and the forecast for Abuja, Kano or any other city in Nigeria.
- Africa: time zones and key facts for every country on the continent.
- Further reading: official languages around the world.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Nigeria in?
Nigeria uses West Africa Time, UTC+1, all year, with the IANA identifier Africa/Lagos.
Does Nigeria have daylight saving time?
No. The clocks stay the same all year. The difference with Europe changes only when Europe changes its clocks.
What is the capital of Nigeria?
Abuja, a planned city in the centre of the country. Lagos, the former capital, is the largest city and the main commercial centre.
When is the rainy season in Nigeria?
In the south it runs from about April to October, with a drier break in August in the south-west. The north has a shorter rainy season in the middle of the year. In Lagos, June is the wettest month.
What is the harmattan?
A dry, dusty wind from the Sahara that blows across Nigeria from late in the year into the next, bringing hazy skies, dry air and, in the north, cooler nights.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Nigeria, getting help: emergency services 112 (ambulance, fire, police).