Every landline area code in Nigeria now starts with 020. The old codes still exist inside the new ones, so Lagos went from 01 to 0201, Abuja went from 09 to 0209, Port Harcourt went from 084 to 02084 and Kano went from 064 to 02064. The change took effect in 2023 and the old format stopped working on 1 January 2024.
Below is the full list of all 56 area codes in the national numbering plan, in both formats, with the town each one serves and the state it sits in. After the tables you will find how to dial them from inside Nigeria and from abroad, and why an area code is not the same thing as a postal code or a phone network prefix.
What Changed in 2024, and Why Your Old Number Fails
The Nigerian Communications Commission expanded the fixed line numbering plan and put a 20 in front of every existing area code. Nothing was renamed and no town lost its code. A digit block was simply added in front, which freed up huge ranges of new numbers for internet telephony and business lines.
The rule is simple. Take the old area code, drop the leading zero, put 020 in front.
| City | Old code | Old number example | New code | New number example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagos | 01 | 01 234 5678 | 0201 | 0201 234 5678 |
| Ibadan | 02 | 02 241 0000 | 0202 | 0202 241 0000 |
| Abuja | 09 | 09 461 0000 | 0209 | 0209 461 0000 |
| Port Harcourt | 084 | 084 230 000 | 02084 | 02084 230 000 |
| Kano | 064 | 064 630 000 | 02064 | 02064 630 000 |
There was a grace period through 2023 when both versions connected. That ended on 1 January 2024. If you are dialling a landline printed on an old business card, a 2019 invoice or a government website that has not been updated, add the 020 yourself and the call will go through.
This is also why so many published lists are wrong. Most Nigerian directory sites were written before 2023 and still show bare codes like 01 and 084. Those numbers are no longer dialable as printed.
Full List of Nigeria Area Codes by Zone
The numbering plan groups codes into six zones. These are telecoms zones, not the six geopolitical zones, so a few entries sit somewhere you would not expect. Warri, Benin City and Asaba are filed under the South West Zone, and Lafia is filed under the North East. The code still works exactly as listed.
Lagos Zone
| Current code | Old code | Primary centre | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0201 | 01 | Lagos | Lagos |
Central Zone
| Current code | Old code | Primary centre | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0209 | 09 | Abuja | FCT |
| 02031 | 031 | Ilorin | Kwara |
| 02033 | 033 | New Bussa | Niger |
| 02044 | 044 | Makurdi | Benue |
| 02058 | 058 | Lokoja | Kogi |
| 02066 | 066 | Minna | Niger |
| 02067 | 067 | Kontagora | Niger |
North West Zone
| Current code | Old code | Primary centre | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02060 | 060 | Sokoto | Sokoto |
| 02061 | 061 | Kafanchan | Kaduna |
| 02062 | 062 | Kaduna | Kaduna |
| 02063 | 063 | Gusau | Zamfara |
| 02064 | 064 | Kano | Kano |
| 02065 | 065 | Katsina | Katsina |
| 02068 | 068 | Birnin Kebbi | Kebbi |
| 02069 | 069 | Zaria | Kaduna |
| 02078 | 078 | Hadejia | Jigawa |
North East Zone
| Current code | Old code | Primary centre | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02041 | 041 | Wukari | Taraba |
| 02047 | 047 | Lafia | Nasarawa |
| 02071 | 071 | Azare | Bauchi |
| 02072 | 072 | Gombe | Gombe |
| 02073 | 073 | Jos | Plateau |
| 02075 | 075 | Yola | Adamawa |
| 02076 | 076 | Maiduguri | Borno |
| 02077 | 077 | Bauchi | Bauchi |
| 02079 | 079 | Jalingo | Taraba |
South West Zone
| Current code | Old code | Primary centre | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0202 | 02 | Ibadan | Oyo |
| 02030 | 030 | Ado Ekiti | Ekiti |
| 02034 | 034 | Akure | Ondo |
| 02035 | 035 | Osogbo | Osun |
| 02036 | 036 | Ile Ife | Osun |
| 02037 | 037 | Ijebu Ode | Ogun |
| 02038 | 038 | Oyo | Oyo |
| 02039 | 039 | Abeokuta | Ogun |
| 02050 | 050 | Ikare | Ondo |
| 02051 | 051 | Owo | Ondo |
| 02052 | 052 | Warri | Delta |
| 02053 | 053 | Benin City | Edo |
| 02054 | 054 | Sapele | Delta |
| 02055 | 055 | Agbor | Delta |
| 02056 | 056 | Asaba | Delta |
| 02057 | 057 | Auchi | Edo |
| 02059 | 059 | Okitipupa | Ondo |
South East Zone
| Current code | Old code | Primary centre | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02042 | 042 | Enugu | Enugu |
| 02043 | 043 | Abakaliki | Ebonyi |
| 02045 | 045 | Ogoja | Cross River |
| 02046 | 046 | Onitsha | Anambra |
| 02048 | 048 | Awka | Anambra |
| 02082 | 082 | Aba | Abia |
| 02083 | 083 | Owerri | Imo |
| 02084 | 084 | Port Harcourt | Rivers |
| 02085 | 085 | Uyo | Akwa Ibom |
| 02086 | 086 | Ahoada | Rivers |
| 02087 | 087 | Calabar | Cross River |
| 02088 | 088 | Umuahia | Abia |
| 02089 | 089 | Yenagoa | Bayelsa |
How to Dial a Nigerian Landline
A full Nigerian national number is 10 digits after the trunk zero. Landline local numbers run from five to seven digits depending on the town, which is why a Lagos number looks longer than a Yenagoa one.
From inside Nigeria
Dial the full code with its zero, then the local number. From a Lagos landline to another Lagos landline you can often still drop the code and dial the local digits alone, but from a mobile phone you always need the full code. Example: 0201 234 5678.
From outside Nigeria
Dial your exit code, then Nigeria’s country code 234, then the area code without its leading zero, then the number. From the United States that is 011 234 201 234 5678. From the United Kingdom, 00 234 201 234 5678. Saved in international format it is +234 201 234 5678, and the plus sign works from any mobile anywhere.
The zero that disappears
The leading zero is a trunk prefix for domestic dialling only. It is never used with +234. Writing +234 0201 234 5678 is wrong and many international carriers will drop the call. This single mistake accounts for most failed calls into Nigeria.
The Five Codes People Search For Most
Lagos: 0201
Lagos is the only city with a single digit legacy code, which tells you how early it was allocated. Banks, law firms, hotels and every federal agency office in Lagos still publish landlines on this code, and Lagos landline numbers carry seven local digits, the longest in the country. If a Lagos number you have is only 10 digits including 01, it is a pre 2023 number and you need the 020.
Abuja: 0209
Abuja covers the Federal Capital Territory, including Wuse, Garki, Maitama, Asokoro and Gwarinpa. Ministries, embassies and the National Assembly publish switchboard numbers on this code. Embassy lines in particular are worth dialling with the full international format, because many are answered by call centres routed outside Nigeria.
Port Harcourt: 02084
Port Harcourt serves Rivers State and carries most of the oil and gas corporate landlines in the South South. Note that Rivers has a second code, 02086 for Ahoada, which is one of the few states in the country with two separate primary centres.
Kano: 02064
Kano is the anchor code for the North West and the busiest commercial landline zone north of Abuja. Kaduna State is unusual in having three codes of its own: 02062 for Kaduna city, 02069 for Zaria and 02061 for Kafanchan.
Ibadan: 0202
Ibadan holds the second single digit legacy code. Oyo State also has 02038 for Oyo town, so a number from the state is not automatically an Ibadan number.
Area Code, Phone Prefix and Postal Code Are Three Different Things
These get mixed up constantly, usually on delivery forms and online checkouts.
| What it is | Example | What it tells you | Where you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area code | 0201 | Which town a landline sits in | Dialling a fixed telephone line |
| Mobile prefix | 0803 | Which network originally issued a mobile number | Nothing official, it is not location based |
| Postal code | 100001 | Which delivery district an address falls in | Addressing post and online checkout forms |
The important one to understand is the mobile prefix. A Nigerian mobile number carries no location information at all. An 0803 number is not a Lagos number. Mobile numbers were issued nationally from day one, and since number portability launched in 2013 a prefix does not even reliably tell you the network any more, because subscribers can move to another operator and keep their digits.
Postal codes are a separate system entirely, run by NIPOST, with six digits based on delivery districts.
Do Landline Area Codes Still Matter?
Nigeria is a mobile first country and most households have never owned a landline. The codes still matter in four places.
- Banks and regulators. Central Bank circulars, bank head offices and compliance desks publish landline switchboards, and many will not answer a WhatsApp message.
- Embassies and visa centres. Appointment lines are almost always fixed lines, and you often need the international format to reach them.
- Business VoIP. Companies buy 020 numbers so customers see a stable city number rather than a personal mobile. This is the fastest growing use of the range and the reason the expansion happened.
- Forms that reject mobiles. Visa applications, tender documents and some international bank transfers ask for a landline and will not accept an 11 digit mobile number.
Find Your Code by State
The numbering plan is published by town, not by state, which is why people struggle to find a code for somewhere like Ekiti or Bayelsa. Here is the same data turned the other way round. Where a state has several codes, the town each one covers is in brackets.
| State | Codes | Area code and town |
|---|---|---|
| Abia | 2 | 02082 (Aba), 02088 (Umuahia) |
| Adamawa | 1 | 02075 (Yola) |
| Akwa Ibom | 1 | 02085 (Uyo) |
| Anambra | 2 | 02046 (Onitsha), 02048 (Awka) |
| Bauchi | 2 | 02071 (Azare), 02077 (Bauchi) |
| Bayelsa | 1 | 02089 (Yenagoa) |
| Benue | 1 | 02044 (Makurdi) |
| Borno | 1 | 02076 (Maiduguri) |
| Cross River | 2 | 02045 (Ogoja), 02087 (Calabar) |
| Delta | 4 | 02052 (Warri), 02054 (Sapele), 02055 (Agbor), 02056 (Asaba) |
| Ebonyi | 1 | 02043 (Abakaliki) |
| Edo | 2 | 02053 (Benin City), 02057 (Auchi) |
| Ekiti | 1 | 02030 (Ado Ekiti) |
| Enugu | 1 | 02042 (Enugu) |
| FCT | 1 | 0209 (Abuja) |
| Gombe | 1 | 02072 (Gombe) |
| Imo | 1 | 02083 (Owerri) |
| Jigawa | 1 | 02078 (Hadejia) |
| Kaduna | 3 | 02061 (Kafanchan), 02062 (Kaduna), 02069 (Zaria) |
| Kano | 1 | 02064 (Kano) |
| Katsina | 1 | 02065 (Katsina) |
| Kebbi | 1 | 02068 (Birnin Kebbi) |
| Kogi | 1 | 02058 (Lokoja) |
| Kwara | 1 | 02031 (Ilorin) |
| Lagos | 1 | 0201 (Lagos) |
| Nasarawa | 1 | 02047 (Lafia) |
| Niger | 3 | 02033 (New Bussa), 02066 (Minna), 02067 (Kontagora) |
| Ogun | 2 | 02037 (Ijebu Ode), 02039 (Abeokuta) |
| Ondo | 4 | 02034 (Akure), 02050 (Ikare), 02051 (Owo), 02059 (Okitipupa) |
| Osun | 2 | 02035 (Osogbo), 02036 (Ile Ife) |
| Oyo | 2 | 0202 (Ibadan), 02038 (Oyo) |
| Plateau | 1 | 02073 (Jos) |
| Rivers | 2 | 02084 (Port Harcourt), 02086 (Ahoada) |
| Sokoto | 1 | 02060 (Sokoto) |
| Taraba | 2 | 02041 (Wukari), 02079 (Jalingo) |
| Zamfara | 1 | 02063 (Gusau) |
One state is missing from that table and it is not an error. Yobe has no primary centre in the published plan, so there is no dedicated Damaturu code to quote. If you need a fixed line in Yobe, ask the office you are calling for the exact number in full national format rather than assuming a code.
The 0700, 0800 and 0900 Ranges
Three ranges sit outside the geographic system entirely. They are not area codes and they are not tied to any town.
| Range | What it is | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| 0700 | Shared and value added network services. A single memorable number that routes to whichever office or call centre the owner chooses. | Banks, airlines, insurance companies, large retailers |
| 0800 | The same class of licence, used for freephone style customer lines. | Customer care desks, complaint lines, government helpdesks |
| 0900 | Reserved for vanity number services, meaning numbers chosen for how they read or spell. | Premium and branded services |
Two things worth knowing before you dial one. A 0700 number is not automatically free, and many are billed at ordinary rates or more, so check before you sit in a queue on a prepaid line. And because these numbers route to a call centre rather than a place, the same 0700 line can be answered in Lagos today and Abuja next month without the number changing.
Why the Plan Changed at All
Nigeria built its fixed line network under NITEL, the state owned monopoly, and the old codes were handed out one town at a time as exchanges opened. That worked while landlines were the only option. Then GSM launched in 2001, mobile took over almost completely, and the fixed line ranges were left half used and badly organised.
What revived them was business internet telephony. A company running its phones over the internet still wants customers to see a proper city landline rather than a personal mobile, and demand for those numbers grew faster than the old blocks could supply. Putting 020 in front of every code multiplied the available numbers without renaming a single town or forcing anyone to memorise something new.
That is the practical takeaway. Your old code is not gone. It is now sitting behind 020.
Quick Facts
- Nigeria country code: +234
- Area codes in the national plan: 56
- Current format: 020 plus the legacy code, for example 0201 for Lagos
- Old format valid until: 1 January 2024
- National number length: 10 digits after the trunk zero
- Landline local number length: five to seven digits
- Mobile numbers: 11 digits starting 070, 080, 081, 090 or 091, with no area code
- States with more than one code: Kaduna, Niger, Ondo, Delta, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Rivers, Cross River, Taraba, Bauchi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the area code for Nigeria?
Nigeria does not have one area code. It has a country code, +234, and then separate area codes for each town. The one people usually mean is Lagos, which is 0201, or +234 201 from abroad.
Why does my old Nigerian landline number not work?
Because the numbering plan changed. Every area code gained a 020 in front of it in 2023, and the old short version stopped connecting on 1 January 2024. Add 020 to the front of the code and try again.
What is the area code for Lagos?
It is 0201 inside Nigeria, and +234 201 from outside. The old code was 01.
What is the area code for Abuja?
It is 0209 inside Nigeria, and +234 209 from outside. The old code was 09.
Is 0803 an area code?
No. 0803 is a mobile network prefix, originally issued by MTN. It tells you nothing about where the person is. Nigerian mobile numbers have no area codes.
How many digits is a Nigerian phone number?
A mobile number is 11 digits when you write it with the trunk zero, for example 0803 123 4567. A landline is the area code plus five to seven local digits. In international format both drop the leading zero and sit behind +234.
Do I dial the zero when calling Nigeria from abroad?
No. Drop it. Dial +234 then the code without its zero. +234 201 234 5678 is correct, +234 0201 234 5678 is not.
Which state has the most area codes?
Kaduna and Ondo, with three each. Kaduna holds 02062, 02069 and 02061. Ondo holds 02034, 02050, 02051 and 02059, which is the largest single state block in the plan.
Are area codes the same as postal codes in Nigeria?
No. Area codes are for telephones and start with 020. Postal codes are six digit NIPOST delivery codes tied to a post office delivery district, for example 100001, which is the Ikeja head office district in Lagos. They are unrelated systems and you cannot convert one into the other.
Where do I find the official list?
The Nigerian Communications Commission publishes the national numbering plan for fixed telephony, listing each code against its primary centre. The tables above follow that plan and add the state for each town.
Summary
Nigeria runs 56 fixed line area codes under a plan that changed in 2023. Every code now begins with 020, and the version you may have saved from before then no longer connects. Lagos is 0201, Ibadan is 0202, Abuja is 0209, and everywhere else keeps its old two or three digit code behind the same 020 block. From abroad, drop the leading zero and dial +234 followed by the code.
Mobile numbers work differently. They are 11 digits, they carry no geography, and their prefixes point at the network that first issued them rather than where the phone is or even which network runs it today.
Conclusion
If a Nigerian landline is not connecting, the fix is almost always the same: put 020 in front of the code, or take the zero off if you are dialling from another country. Bookmark this page and use the zone tables to check any code before you dial, especially for towns like Warri, Asaba and Lafia that sit in a different telecoms zone from the one you would guess.