All four Nigerian networks: MTN, Airtel, Glo and T2 (ex-9mobile)
With four networks to choose from - MTN, Airtel, Glo and T2, formerly 9mobile - a weak signal on one is usually covered by another. If your phone sticks to a poor one, pick a different network by hand in your mobile settings.
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and the other big cities have 4G. Elsewhere it is patchier: about a third of mobile connections in Nigeria still run on 2G, and 5G is under 5% (official NCC figures, July 2026). Expect 4G in the cities and slower data in rural areas.
Visiting family? Keep your Nigerian line in the phone
If you have a Nigerian number, keep that SIM in your phone and add this eSIM for data: on a dual-SIM phone the two run side by side. Calls and the bank codes sent to your Nigerian number keep arriving, while browsing, maps and WhatsApp run on the eSIM. You can do the same with your UK, US or other home number - but turn off data roaming on your home line, or your home network may charge you for it.
The eSIM gives you mobile internet, not a Nigerian number. Fixed-data plans run from 7 to 30 days, and there are unlimited day passes for 1 to 30 days, with fair-use limits on heavy use.
No NIN needed - you are not registering a Nigerian SIM
Nigeria requires a National Identification Number (NIN) to register a local SIM, with exemptions for foreign visitors - who still have to buy the line in a shop with their passport, visa and entry stamp, and a photo check. With a travel eSIM you do not buy or register a Nigerian SIM at all, so none of this applies: you install the eSIM yourself before you fly.
Arriving, power cuts and WiFi
When you land at Lagos (LOS), Abuja (ABV), Port Harcourt (PHC), Kano (KAN) or Enugu (ENU), the eSIM picks up a network as soon as you leave airplane mode.
Power cuts are common and can affect mobile service, and the government has suspended mobile networks at short notice before, so a power bank is worth packing. Canada's travel advice warns that public WiFi can be used to steal personal data - use mobile data for banking.