The best eSIM for Nigeria depends on your trip. If you only visit Nigeria, a prepaid Nigeria data plan sized to your stay is the simplest choice. If you also cross into Ghana, Benin, Niger or other African countries, an Africa plan covers them all with one eSIM. Either way, you install it at home before you fly and it connects when you land. This guide compares your options by trip length and data, using the current plan details on our Nigeria eSIM page, and explains how eSIMs from local carriers work.
Short on time? Here are three Nigeria plans for a short trip, a busy week and a two-week stay.
Nigeria 5GB (7 days) · Nigeria 10GB (7 days) · Nigeria 20GB (15 days) · all data only · See all eSIMs for Nigeria
Does eSIM work in Nigeria?
Yes. A travel eSIM works in Nigeria as long as your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. You buy it online, get a QR code by email and install it in a few minutes. Nigeria's own carriers offer eSIM too, but you get theirs in a store (see below).
Best eSIM plans for Nigeria: quick comparison
SimOptions sells two kinds of prepaid eSIMs that work in Nigeria. Here is how they compare.
Nigeria data plans (1 GB to 20 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, and 20 GB for 15 days.
- Countries: Nigeria only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available.
Africa data plans (1 GB to 20 GB, 30 countries)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, and 20 GB for 15 days.
- Countries: 30, including Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Niger, Senegal, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Which eSIM is best for your Nigeria trip?
Start with how long you stay, then ask yourself one question: do you also visit other African countries?
Short trip or business visit (up to a week): Nigeria 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a few days of meetings in Lagos or Abuja, a small plan covers maps, ride apps, WhatsApp and email. The 3 GB plan lasts 3 days, the 5 GB and 10 GB plans last 7 days. If you run low, you can top up.
Two weeks, or visiting family: Nigeria 20GB
Going home for a family event or staying two weeks? Nigeria 20GB gives you 15 days. Video calls, photos and social media add up fast, so this size gives you room. You can top it up if you stay longer.
Nigeria plus Ghana, Benin or Niger: an Africa plan
A Nigeria plan only works in Nigeria. If your trip also takes you to Accra, Cotonou or Niamey, an Africa plan covers 30 countries with one eSIM, so you don't need a new one at each border. For more on multi-country trips, see our guide to the best eSIM for Africa.
Africa 5GB (7 days) · Africa 10GB (7 days) · Africa 20GB (15 days) · data only, 30 countries · See all Africa eSIMs or eSIMs for Nigeria only
You need a Nigerian phone number
The SimOptions plans for Nigeria and Africa are data only. You can still call and text with WhatsApp, FaceTime or other apps, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. If you need a Nigerian number, for bank alerts, a job or a long stay, get a line from a Nigerian carrier (see below).
eSIM providers in Nigeria: MTN, Airtel and Glo
Nigerian carriers offer eSIM to their own customers, but you can't buy it online before your trip. Here is what their official pages say.
- MTN: you visit an MTN store, where staff check that your phone is eligible and give you a QR code to install the eSIM (MTN Nigeria: eSIM).
- Airtel: you check your phone by dialling *#06# and go to an Airtel Service Centre. If you don't have an Airtel line yet, you first buy and register a physical SIM, then upgrade it to an eSIM. Airtel says there's currently no cost for this (Airtel Nigeria: eSIM).
- Glo: you go to a Gloworld shop or Glo dealer outlet, where staff check your phone and verify your NIN (National Identification Number) before you scan the QR code (Glo: eSIM).
Every new line must be registered. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says visitors on a tourist or visiting visa show their international passport to get a SIM, while foreigners who live and work in Nigeria need a NIN (NCC: Foreigners living in Nigeria or visiting from abroad). A local line makes sense if you stay for months or need a Nigerian number. For a short trip, a travel eSIM saves you the store visit.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Nigeria?
If you keep your home plan, you pay your carrier's roaming rates in Nigeria. The EU's "roam like at home" rules only apply inside the EU and EEA, so they don't cover Nigeria (Your Europe: Roaming costs). UK and US carriers set their own prices for Nigeria, often as a daily fee or a pass. Check your carrier's roaming page before you go.
A prepaid Nigeria eSIM gives you local data at a fixed price, while your home SIM stays on your phone for texts and bank codes. More tips: how to avoid roaming charges.
Using your eSIM around Nigeria
Here is where your data helps most, from the big cities to the parks.
Lagos
Nigeria's business hub. You'll use your data for ride apps, maps through heavy traffic, and finding your way to places like the Lekki Conservation Centre or the Nike Art Gallery.
Abuja
The capital, home to the National Mosque and Millennium Park. Handy for meetings, maps and ride apps between districts.
Port Harcourt
A major business city in the south. If you travel here for work, a 7-day plan covers email, WhatsApp calls and maps on a short visit.
Calabar
The capital of Cross River State, known for the Calabar Carnival every December. Big crowds can make mobile data slow, so save your tickets and maps offline.
Yankari Game Reserve
In Bauchi State, known for its wildlife and Wikki Warm Spring. Signal can be weak or missing in parks and rural areas, whatever eSIM you use, so download offline maps before you go.
How much data do you need in Nigeria?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your hotel or family home helps a lot. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and some video calls.
- Longer stays: start with 20 GB and top up as you go.
Planning to share your connection with a laptop? Our Nigeria page says hotspot is supported, but tethering uses data fast, so go a size up.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). For Android phones, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to get and set up your eSIM for Nigeria
- Buy your plan online on the Nigeria eSIM page. Your QR code comes by email, so you don't need a store in Nigeria.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM and Apple's guide to setting up eSIM on iPhone.
- Label the line "Nigeria" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Nigeria?
It depends on your trip. For a few days, Nigeria 3GB or 5GB. For a week, Nigeria 10GB. For two weeks, Nigeria 20GB. If you also visit other African countries, an Africa plan.
Which is the best eSIM provider in Nigeria?
For a visit, a travel eSIM you buy online is the quickest, since you install it before you fly. For a Nigerian number, MTN, Airtel and Glo all offer eSIM in their stores. Pick the one whose coverage and plans suit where you'll be.
Is eSIM available in Nigeria?
Yes. Travel eSIMs work in Nigeria, and MTN, Airtel and Glo offer eSIM to their customers in store.
How do I get an eSIM in Nigeria?
Buy a travel eSIM online before you go and install it from the QR code. Or visit an MTN, Airtel or Glo store with your ID, passport or NIN, and staff give you a QR code for a local line.
Is there an eSIM for Niger?
Yes. The SimOptions Africa plans list Niger among their 30 countries, along with Nigeria. See the Africa eSIM page for the full list.
Can I get a Nigerian phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans, which are data only. For a Nigerian number, you need a registered line from a Nigerian carrier.
Can I top up my Nigeria eSIM?
Yes. The Nigeria and Africa plans can be topped up if you run low.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.
