Lagos shares more of the working day with New York than the Gulf or India does. That makes Nigeria a good base for work with US clients. Whether the calls come from clients or from parents, siblings or children in the US, a +1 number makes it easier for people there to call you. Here is how the hours line up, who uses a US number and how to set one up.
When does Lagos overlap with the US?
In your afternoon and early evening. Nigeria keeps the same offset, UTC+1, all year and does not change its clocks (ITU). New York is UTC-4 in the US summer and UTC-5 in the US winter, Chicago is an hour behind New York and Los Angeles three hours behind (NIST). That gives these hours in Lagos:
| US office hours | In Lagos, US summer | In Lagos, US winter | A good call window for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. | 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. | 2 to 5 p.m. summer, 3 to 6 p.m. winter |
| Chicago, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. | 4 p.m. to midnight | 3 to 6 p.m. summer, 4 to 7 p.m. winter |
| Los Angeles, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. | 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. | 5 to 7 p.m. summer, 6 to 8 p.m. winter |
“US summer” runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, according to NIST. US clocks go back on November 1, 2026, and forward again on March 14, 2027. Between those dates, US hours arrive an hour later in your day.
So from Lagos, a call block from mid-afternoon to early evening covers New York’s morning and, on some days, the West Coast’s morning too. The US time-zone clock shows today’s times, and the best time to call US clients has more cities.
Who in Nigeria uses a US number?
- Freelancers. Developers, designers and writers give US clients a +1 number for the clients who prefer a call. The number also receives verification codes (OTP SMS) from apps: Upwork, Fiverr, Payoneer and Wise sent codes in TripoSIM’s tests on October 3, 2026. Keep your profiles set to your real country; a phone number does not change where you live. The freelancers page covers the setup.
- Creators. US brands, agencies and podcast hosts sometimes want a quick call before a deal. A +1 number in your media kit makes that an ordinary call for them. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Google also sent codes in TripoSIM’s tests on October 3, 2026.
- Families. Parents, siblings or children in the US call a local +1 number instead of an international one, and you call them back with the included minutes. The families page has more examples.
How do the minutes work for work and family?
There are two separate allowances. Calls people make to you are included up to a fair use of 300 minutes a month. Calls you make to US and Canadian numbers use your 300 minutes a month. Count them separately; they do not add together. Each outgoing call is rounded up to the next full minute; unanswered calls are free.
Take a hypothetical designer in Lagos. Each week she has two client calls of 15 minutes and calls her sister in the US twice for 15 minutes. That is 60 minutes a week, or about 260 minutes a month, inside the 300 outgoing minutes. If her sister calls her instead, those minutes come from the incoming allowance. If she talks more, extra outgoing minutes cost $5 per 100. The cost calculator works out your own month.
If your family uses WhatsApp, you can set up WhatsApp on the same US number. The number receives the WhatsApp verification code, and relatives can then message you at the +1 number they already call. See WhatsApp on a US number.
Friends in Nigeria can call your US number too, as an international call at their own operator’s rates. How to call the US from abroad has the dialing format.
Does an app-based US number work in Nigeria?
The TripoSIM US Virtual Number runs in an app over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so it goes wherever your phone goes. That is also why local rules matter: on your network, a call on the number is an internet call.
- Rules differ by country. Before you rely on calls, check the rules on internet calling with your regulator or mobile operator, and keep your Nigerian SIM for calls at home.
Texts work differently. A text from a US sender reaches your number in the US and shows up in the app over your connection, like any notification. Verification codes from apps arrive the same way.
Keep mobile data as a backup to Wi-Fi. TripoSIM says calls ring even when the app is closed once notifications and the microphone are allowed; a phone that is off, offline or has notifications blocked does not ring, and callers reach voicemail. Test before you share the number: the ten-check reliability test covers calls in and out, a locked screen, Wi-Fi and mobile data, and voicemail.
What should your contact page and greeting say?
- The number in full: +1, the area code and the 7 digits, with a tap-to-call link.
- Your hours in US time: “9 a.m. to noon Eastern” means something to a client in Atlanta. “2 to 5 p.m.” does not.
- “Call or email”, not “call or text”: the number receives texts from US and Canadian senders but cannot send them.
- Your real location: a US area code makes you easy to call. It does not give you a US office, so say where you are based.
Sample copy:
US line: +1 (your number). Based in Lagos, working US mornings. I take calls Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon Eastern. Leave a voicemail at any time, or email (your address).
Your voicemail greeting should say the same: your name, your hours in Eastern time and when you call back. Messages can be up to 2 minutes, up to 30 a month, kept 30 days. The voicemail guide covers setup.
What can’t the number do?
- No sending texts. It receives texts only, so point clients and family to email or WhatsApp for written messages.
- No calls to Nigerian numbers. Calls out go to US and Canadian numbers only. Texts from other countries usually cannot reach US numbers either, so keep your Nigerian number for local contacts and services.
- No emergency calls. It cannot call 911 or any emergency service; use your local line.
- Not a team line. It is one person’s line for personal and small-business use, and call centers are not allowed. One person can have several numbers, each with its own plan, for example one for work and one for family.
The bottom line
From Lagos, call New York between about 2 and 6 p.m., depending on the season, and the West Coast in your early evening. Publish a +1 number with your hours in Eastern time and “call or email”, give it to family in the US, and return calls in one fixed block. Check the rules on internet calling where you live, and test calls before you rely on them. Compare the two plans, $100 a year or $12.99 a month, on the plans page.