Nigeria uses the time zone West African Time (WAT) and UTC+01:00 as its identifier for a time offset from UTC.
Note: UTC means Coordinated Universal Time
So, if you are travelling to Nigeria from state capitals in the United States, it is very important to know the time in Nigeria to calculate your arrival time.
Are there variations in Nigerian time?
There is no time variation across the states in Nigeria; the time is the same in all villages, towns, and cities in Nigeria.
For instance, if it is 11:00 AM in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, it is the same time in Abuja, Uyo, Kaduna, Owerri, Osogbo, Calabar, Kano, Maiduguri, and other cities across the country.
Time in Nigeria vs Time in the US Cities
Unlike Nigeria where the time is the same, it is not in the United States. The US have nine standard time zones, viz:
- Alaskan Standard Time (AKST),
- Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST),
- Atlantic Standard Time (AST),
- Samoa standard time (UTC-11),
- Eastern Standard Time (EST),
- Central Standard Time (CST),
- Pacific Standard Time (PST),
- Chamorro Standard Time (UTC+10), and
- Mountain Standard Time (MST)
For instance, Phoenix, the capital of Arizona is 8 hours behind Nigeria. This means when it is 15:09 PM in Nigeria, it is 07:09 AM in the Arizona capital.
Residents in Alaska’s capital are 10 hours behind Nigeria. When it’s 15:11 PM across Nigeria, it is 05:11 AM in Juneau.
The table below shows the time difference in hours between Nigeria and the state capitals in the United States.
| US State Capital | The time difference in Hour | State |
| Montgomery | -7HR | Alabama |
| Juneau | -10HR | Alaska |
| Phoenix | -8HR | Arizona |
| Little Rock | -7HR | Arkansas |
| Sacramento | -9HR | California |
| Denver | -8HR | Colorado |
| Hartford | -6HR | Connecticut |
| Dover | -6HR | Delaware |
| Tallahassee | -6HR | Florida |
| Atlanta | -6HR | Georgia |
| Honolulu | -1HR | Hawaii |
| Boise | -8HR | Idaho |
| Springfield | -7HR | Illinois |
| Indianapolis | -6HR | Indiana |
| Des Moines | -7HR | Iowa |
| Topeka | -7HR | Kansas |
| Frankfort | -6HR | Kentucky |
| Baton Rouge | -7HR | Louisiana |
| Augusta | -6HR | Maine |
| Annapolis | -6HR | Maryland |
| Boston | -6HR | Massachusetts |
| Lansing | -6HR | Michigan |
| Saint Paul | -7HR | Minnesota |
| Jackson | -7HR | Mississippi |
| Jefferson City | -7HR | Missouri |
| Helena | -8HR | Montana |
| Lincoln | -7HR | Nebraska |
| Carson City | -9HR | Nevada |
| Concord | -6HR | New Hampshire |
| Trenton | -6HR | New Jersey |
| Santa Fe | -6HR | New Mexico |
| Albany | -6HR | New York |
| Raleigh | -6HR | North Carolina |
| Bismarck | -7HR | North Dakota |
| Columbus | -6HR | Ohio |
| Oklahoma City | -7HR | Oklahoma |
| Salem | -9HR | Oregon |
| Harrisburg | -6HR | Pennsylvania |
| Providence | -6HR | Rhode Island |
| Columbia | -6HR | South Carolina |
| Nashville | -7HR | Tennessee |
| Pierre | -7HR | South Dakota |
| Salt Lake City | -8HR | Utah |
| Austin | -8HR | Texas |
| Montpelier | -6HR | Vermont |
| Richmond | -6HR | Virginia |
| Olympia | -9HR | Washington |
| Charleston | -6HR | West Virginia |
| Madison | -7HR | Wisconsin |
| Cheyenne | -8HR | Wyoming |
Conclusion:
All 36 states in Nigeria use the same time zone, but it isn’t like that in the United States. The US, by law, uses nine standard time zones.
That’s why the time in South Carolina capita Columbia isn’t the same as Olympia, the Washington capital.
The time in Sokoto, Abuja, Ibadan, and Yola is the same in Abakaliki, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, and Zaria. The time in Nigeria is the same.