Quick answer
+234 is Nigeria. Nigerian mobiles commonly start 70, 80, 81, 90 or 91 after the country code. A +234 call can be family or a Nigerian business - the UK has a large Nigerian-born population - or a one-ring, romance or advance-fee scam. Do not ring back a +234 number that called once and hung up. EE's published standard rate to Nigeria, checked 8 September 2026, is £4.64 a minute. +233 is Ghana, not Nigeria; it is covered at the end of this page.
What a +234 number looks like
The Nigerian Communications Commission numbering plan uses +234 plus the national number with the leading 0 dropped.
| Domestic Nigerian number | What you see | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 070, 080, 081, 090, 091 mobiles | +234 70… / 80… / 81… / 90… / 91… | Mobile |
| 01 | +234 1 | Lagos landline |
| 09 | +234 9 | Abuja landline |
00234 is the same code from a UK landline.
A UK 07 mobile is not a Nigerian 070. +234 70… is Nigerian. 07… or +44 7… is British.
WhatsApp sometimes shows a long +234 string. That is usually the country code plus a full Nigerian mobile (and, occasionally, a leading 0 someone failed to strip, which makes the number look "13 digits"). It is still a Nigerian number, not a different country.
Our free phone number checker is built for UK numbers. For +234, use the table.
Who genuinely calls from a Nigerian number
ONS country-of-birth figures have long placed Nigeria among the larger African-born populations in England. Family, students, churches, and businesses with offices in Lagos or Abuja generate ordinary +234 calls.
A +234 call that fits a relative, a trip, a church, or a company you already deal with can be real. A +234 call that starts the relationship - especially one that wants money, a "processing fee", or a romance to move off WhatsApp - is the one to refuse.
Scam patterns tied to +234
These are documented patterns, not a claim that Nigerian numbers are uniquely criminal. Action Fraud, the NCA and Ofcom have all published material on international fraud that uses phone and messaging channels; romance and advance-fee ("inheritance", "customs", "lawyer") scripts are among them.
- One-ring / Wangiri. A +234 number rings once. Returning it on a £4.64-a-minute tariff is the product. See Wangiri.
- Romance and "wrong number" WhatsApp. A contact, often on WhatsApp, who builds a relationship and then needs money moved, a fee paid, or an investment app downloaded.
- Advance-fee. A prize, inheritance, contract or shipment that needs you to pay a release charge first. Genuine organisations do not work that way.
- UK-bank or delivery impersonation from a +234 number. Genuine UK organisations do not call from Nigeria. Hang up; 159 for a UK bank.
Ofcom's 2024 overseas-call rules make it harder to present a UK landline ID from abroad, which is one reason more of these calls now show +234 instead of a spoofed 0161.
What ringing back a +234 number costs
A callback to Nigeria is international and almost never in your UK minutes.
EE's published standard rate to Nigeria, checked on 8 September 2026 at ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/call-abroad/countries/nigeria, is £4.64 a minute to mobiles and landlines (98p a text). EE's International Pass lists Nigeria at a much lower rate. Without it, a two-minute callback is more than nine pounds. O2, Vodafone and Three publish their own guides - check yours. A one-ring scam that connects you to a premium or unusual international route can cost more than the standard Nigeria rate.
WhatsApp calls from a +234 number
WhatsApp from +234 is an account registered to a Nigerian number. For a lot of UK–Nigeria families that is the default. It is also a default channel for the romance / wrong-number scripts above. Silence unknown callers. Never send money, codes or photos because a +234 WhatsApp call asked.
+233 Ghana (short section, not its own page)
+233 is Ghana, not Nigeria. Ghanaian mobiles commonly start 20, 24, 26, 27, 50, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59 after +233. The UK also has a substantial Ghanaian-born population, so genuine +233 calls exist. The handling rules are the same as +234: do not return a one-ring missed call; do not trust a UK-sounding official on a Ghanaian number; check your network's Ghana rate before you dial (it is a separate destination from Nigeria). If +233 traffic justifies its own page later, it will live alongside this one; until then, treat +233 with the same caution.
How to handle a +234 call
- Were you expecting anyone in Nigeria? Family, church, a company you use?
- Don't call back a one-ring missed call.
- A "UK organisation" on +234 is a hang-up.
- Never pay a fee to release a prize, inheritance or shipment.
- Never share PINs, passwords, one-time codes or bank details on an inbound call.
- Block and report - 7726, Action Fraud, WhatsApp in-app report.
The bottom line
A +234 call is Nigerian. Many into the UK are genuine. The expensive mistakes are returning a one-ring missed call on a multi-pound-a-minute tariff, and sending money to a stranger who found you on WhatsApp. +233 is Ghana and gets the same rules. For the wider list see who called me from an international number.
Frequently asked questions
Who called me from a +234 number?
Someone presenting a Nigerian number - family, a business, or a scam using Nigerian caller ID.
What is a +234 13-digit WhatsApp number?
Usually +234 plus a full Nigerian mobile, sometimes with a leftover 0, which makes the string look longer than you expect. It is still Nigeria.
Is +233 the same as +234?
No. +233 is Ghana. +234 is Nigeria. Handle both as international; do not ring back a one-ring call from either.
Should I call back a missed +234 call?
Not if it rang once and stopped. On EE's published standard rate a short callback is several pounds.
How much does it cost to call +234 from the UK?
EE's published standard rate to Nigeria on 8 September 2026 was £4.64 a minute. O2, Vodafone and Three set their own rates.
Are Nigerian numbers always scams?
No. The UK has a large Nigerian community. Treat unexpected official-sounding calls, one-ring missed calls and unknown WhatsApp romance chats as high risk; do not treat every +234 call as fraud.