🇳🇬 Nigeria (+234)

Nigeria Phone Number Validator & Carrier Lookup

Nigeria uses a 10-digit national mobile format behind a trunk 0 that is dropped in E.164, but its defining trait for carrier lookup is portability: since 2013 subscribers can keep their number when switching networks, so the dialling prefix (070, 080, 081, 090, 091) no longer reliably names the operator. Four operators dominate the market — MTN, Airtel, Globacom (Glo) and 9mobile — while fixed lines use city area codes such as Lagos (01) and Abuja (09).

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+234
Dial code
10
Digits after +234
4
Mobile operators
< 20ms
Lookup latency

Nigeria phone number format

Nigeria numbers carry the +234 country code with a national trunk prefix of 0, dropped in E.164 format. Mobile and fixed-line ranges are distinguished by their leading digits and returned as a line_type you can filter on.

Mobile — E.164 format
+234 802 123 4567
Domestic form: 0802 123 4567 — the trunk prefix 0 is dropped for international format. 10 digits after +234.
Fixed line — E.164 format
+234 2033 12 3456
Domestic form: 02033 12 3456 — the trunk prefix 0 is dropped for international format. 10 digits after +234.

Nigeria mobile operators & prefixes

Each mobile prefix is allocated to a specific operator. Veriphone returns that operator from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) numbering plan, along with line type.

Each prefix belongs to one operator — but a number can be ported. The prefix tells you the operator a number was originally allocated to. Because Nigeria allows number portability, a number can keep its prefix after switching networks, so the prefix alone doesn't guarantee the operator serving it today. A Standard lookup returns the allocated operator; add mode=current to resolve the operator serving a ported number now.
MTN
0703–0704, 0706–0707, 0803, 0806, 0810, 0813–0814, 0816, 0903 +4 more
Largest operator by subscribers; original allocations include ranges such as 0803, 0806, 0703, 0813 and 0816.
Airtel
0701, 0708, 0802, 0808, 0812, 0901–0902, 0904, 0907 +1 more
Second-largest operator; original allocations include ranges such as 0802, 0808, 0708, 0812 and 0902.
Glo
0705, 0805, 0807, 0811, 0815, 0905, 0915
Globacom, the indigenous operator; original allocations include ranges such as 0805, 0807, 0705, 0811 and 0815.
9mobile
0809, 0817–0818, 0908–0909
Formerly Etisalat Nigeria (rebranded 9mobile in 2017); smallest of the four, on ranges such as 0809, 0817, 0818 and 0909.

Plus 5 smaller networks (MVNOs), including Starcomms, Multilinks, Smile, Prestel, MAFAB. Veriphone resolves each to its host network.

Fixed-line area codes

For landline numbers, Veriphone returns the city or region where the numbering plan resolves one. Mobile numbers are non-geographic and carry no city.

Lagos
01
Abuja
09
Port Harcourt
084
Kano
064
Ibadan
02
Benin City
052
Ported numbers. Nigeria has supported number portability since 2013, letting subscribers move between MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile while keeping the same number. Veriphone's Standard result returns the operator originally allocated the number's range; mode=current returns the operator actually serving a ported number today.

Questions about Nigeria number validation

Does a prefix like 0803 or 0806 tell me the carrier?

Not reliably. Portability has been active since 2013, so any number can have been ported; the prefix reflects the original allocated operator, and mode=current returns the operator actually serving the number now.

Why does the leading 0 disappear in international format?

The 0 is Nigeria's domestic trunk prefix. It is dropped in E.164 after the +234 country code, so 0803 123 4567 becomes +234 803 123 4567 — a 10-digit national number after the 0.

Is 'Ntel' a carrier I should expect on Nigerian numbers?

No. Ntel is a former operator that is now dormant, with effectively no subscribers and no presence in regulator records; treat any legacy 'Ntel' label as historical, not a current operator.

Is '9mobile' the same as 'Etisalat'?

Yes — 9mobile is the rebrand of Etisalat Nigeria (renamed in 2017). Older reference data may still say 'Etisalat' for the same ranges.

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