Cheapest Way to Call Nigeria from the UK
Every option compared honestly — access numbers, WhatsApp, VoIP apps and eSIMs. The right answer depends on your situation, so we cover all of them.
All Your Options at a Glance
There is no single best way to call Nigeria from the UK — it depends on whether both ends have internet, whether you're on a landline or mobile, and how often you call. Here is an honest comparison of every option.
| Method | Typical Cost | Needs Internet | Best For | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Free | Both ends | Regular callers with WiFi on both sides | Best if both online |
|
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Coming soon | No | UK landline callers, elderly relatives with no smartphone | 🔔 Notify me |
|
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~1–3p/min | UK end only | UK mobile callers, no app needed on other end | Best for UK mobiles |
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Free / low | Both ends | If your contact already uses the same app | Good if app matches |
|
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From £3 | For data calls | Travelling to Nigeria | Travel only |
|
Standard UK Mobile
EE / O2 / Vodafone — international direct dial
|
50p–£1.50/min | No | Emergency calls only | Avoid — very expensive |
💡 The most important caveat on WhatsApp: it is genuinely free — but only works if the person you are calling also has a good internet connection. For calling elderly relatives or anyone without reliable WiFi or data, you need a paid option.
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Calling from Your UK Mobile
Your standard mobile network will charge 50p–£1.50 per minute for international calls to Nigeria. Here are the two options that actually make sense.
Rebtel
The key advantage over WhatsApp: the person you're calling doesn't need a smartphone, internet connection, or any app. Rebtel routes your call over the internet on your end but delivers it as a normal phone call at the Nigeria end. Rates from around 1–3p per minute.
WhatsApp (Free — with a caveat)
Completely free if the person you're calling has WhatsApp and a reliable internet connection. That caveat matters — if they have unreliable WiFi or data, call quality suffers. Best for regular calls to people you know are online.
Used Skype to call Nigeria?
Microsoft shut Skype down in May 2025. The best direct replacement for calling Nigeria landlines and mobiles is Rebtel — same principle, no account needed. For free app-to-app calls, WhatsApp is the natural replacement.
Also Need to Send Money to Nigeria?
Many people calling Nigeria from the UK also send money home regularly. Your high street bank is typically the worst way to do it — most add a hidden margin of 3–5% on top of the exchange rate before charging a transfer fee. These two services are consistently cheaper.
Wise
Uses the real mid-market exchange rate — the same one you see on Google — with a small transparent fee shown upfront before you send. No hidden margin buried in the exchange rate. Used by over 16 million people worldwide.
Remitly
Built specifically for diaspora remittances — very popular for UK–Nigeria transfers. Competitive exchange rates with an on-time delivery guarantee: if your transfer is late, they refund the fee. Supports bank deposit, cash pickup and mobile wallet.
💡 Compare both before sending — rates shift daily. The cheapest for your amount this week may differ from last week.
Travelling to Nigeria? Avoid Roaming Charges
If you're visiting Nigeria, your UK SIM will cost you significantly more than you expect. EE charges up to £8.45 per day for data outside Europe — which adds up to over £59 on a week's trip just for mobile internet. An eSIM costs a fraction of that and activates before you board.
Airalo
Best for most travellers. Buy a data plan before you leave, scan a QR code, and you have local data rates the moment you land in Nigeria. No physical SIM swap, no queues at the airport. Plans start from around £3.
Holafly
Better for longer stays or heavy data users. Unlimited data plans mean you never worry about running out — useful if you're making lots of WhatsApp video calls home, using Google Maps constantly, or working remotely during your trip.
ℹ️ eSIMs are data-only — calls and texts still go through apps like WhatsApp. Your UK number stays active on your phone's physical SIM alongside the eSIM.
How to Dial Nigeria from the UK
📞 Dialling format
Dial 00234 + area code + local number for landlines, dropping the leading zero. For mobiles dial 00234 + the 10-digit number (starting 07, 08 or 09 — drop the leading 0).
🕐 Time difference explained
West Africa Time is UTC+1 year-round. Nigeria does not observe daylight saving. During UK BST the gap reduces to zero.
Dialling code for Nigeria
The dialling code for Nigeria is +234.
When calling Nigeria from the UK you must dial 00234 followed by the Nigeria number in full.
When using our service to make cheap calls to Nigeria, you need to:
- Dial the access number
- When you hear the voice prompt, dial the Nigerian number starting with 00234
- When you have finished inputting the number, wait to be connected.
That’s it….easy!
Best time to call Nigeria from UK
The time in Nigeria is 1 hour ahead the time in the UK (GMT +1). On that basis the best time to call Nigeria is 8am until 4pm UK time. The whole of Nigeria is covered by a single time zone so you don’t need to worry about which part of Nigeria you are calling.
Travel Information (provided by the FCO)
Nigeria Area Codes
| City | Dialing Code from UK |
| Aba | 00234 82 |
| Abakaliki | 00234 43 |
| Abeokuta | 00234 39 |
| Abuja | 00234 9 |
| Ado Ekiti | 00234 30 |
| Agbor | 00234 55 |
| Ahoada | 00234 86 |
| Akure | 00234 34 |
| Asaba | 00234 56 |
| Auchi | 00234 57 |
| Awka | 00234 48 |
| Azare | 00234 71 |
| Badagry | 00234 1 |
| Bauchi | 00234 77 |
| Benin | 00234 52 |
| Birnin | 00234 68 |
| Calabar | 00234 87 |
| Damaturu | 00234 74 |
| Edo | 00234 52 |
| Enugu | 00234 42 |
| Gombe | 00234 72 |
| Gusau | 00234 63 |
| Hadejia | 00234 78 |
| Ibadan | 00234 2 |
| Ijebu Ode | 00234 37 |
| Ikare | 00234 50 |
| Ile Ife | 00234 36 |
| Ilorin | 00234 31 |
| Jalingo | 00234 79 |
| Jos | 00234 73 |
| Kaduna | 00234 62 |
| Kafanchau | 00234 61 |
| Kano | 00234 64 |
| Kano Nigeria | 00234 64 |
| Katsina | 00234 65 |
| Kontagora | 00234 67 |
| Lafia | 00234 47 |
| Lagos | 00234 1 |
| Lokoja | 00234 58 |
| Maiduguri | 00234 76 |
| Makurdi | 00234 44 |
| Minna | 00234 66 |
| New Bussa | 00234 33 |
| Niger Sate | 00234 66 |
| Ogoja | 00234 45 |
| Okitipupa | 00234 59 |
| Onitsha | 00234 46 |
| Oshogbo | 00234 35 |
| Owerri | 00234 83 |
| Owo | 00234 51 |
| Oyo | 00234 38 |
| Pank Shin | 00234 70 |
| Port Harcourt | 00234 84 |
| Sapele | 00234 54 |
| Sokobo | 00234 60 |
| Umuahia | 00234 88 |
| Uyo | 00234 85 |
| Warri | 00234 53 |
| Wukari | 00234 41 |
| Yenegoa | 00234 89 |
| Yola | 00234 75 |
| Zaria | 00234 69 |
