Lagos to Accra
-1hLagos
WATSOURCEAccra
GMTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
WAT and GMT on the World Map
The map below highlights the WAT (West Africa Time) and GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) timezone regions across the globe.
WAT – West Africa Time
UTC+01:00West Africa Time (WAT) is the time zone for West and Central Africa, 1 hour ahead of UTC.
- •Lagos, Nigeria is the most populous city in Africa.
- •WAT is the same offset as CET (UTC+01:00).
- •Nigeria does not observe daylight saving time.
GMT – Greenwich Mean Time
UTC+00:00Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is the same as UTC+00:00.
- •GMT is based on the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) passing through Greenwich, London.
- •The Royal Observatory in Greenwich has been the reference point for GMT since 1884.
- •GMT and UTC are often used interchangeably, but UTC is based on atomic clocks.
- •Iceland uses GMT year-round and never observes daylight saving time.
- •The UK switches from GMT to BST (British Summer Time) in late March each year.
About Lagos
WikipediaLagos operates on West Africa Time (WAT), UTC+1. As Africa's largest city and Nigeria's economic hub, Lagos is the center of African fintech innovation.
Lagos is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and Africa's largest city.
Understanding the -1h Gap: Lagos vs Accra
Lagos runs on West Africa Time (WAT) at UTC+01:00. Accra runs on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) at UTC+00:00. That puts Lagos 1 hour behind Accra — a difference of -1h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in Lagos it is 8:00 AM in Accra. Midnight in Lagos is 11:00 PM in Accra. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
Lagos to Accra time conversion table
| Lagos (WAT) | Accra (GMT) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM | previous day |
| 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert Lagos to Accra time
- Scheduling a call from Lagos to Accra: a 10:00 AM start in Lagos lands at 9:00 AM in Accra, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both Lagos and Accra are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM WAT time (9:00 AM–4:00 PM GMT). That is roughly 7 hours of usable overlap.
- Coordinating a Lagos-based team with Accra contacts: quoting times in the other side's local clock — not your own — removes the single biggest source of missed meetings.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM WAT" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a -1h gap is not.
- Block 10:00 AM–5:00 PM WAT as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from Lagos and need Accra colleagues present.
About WAT (West Africa Time)
West Africa Time (WAT) is used across much of West and Central Africa, including Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. WAT does not observe daylight saving time and shares the same offset as Central European Time (CET).
About GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the clock time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, which sits on the Prime Meridian (0° longitude). GMT serves as the reference point from which all other time zones are calculated. The United Kingdom uses GMT during winter months and switches to British Summer Time (BST, UTC+01:00) from late March to late October. Several West African nations use GMT year-round. GMT is often used interchangeably with UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), although technically they are different – UTC is based on atomic clocks while GMT is based on Earth's rotation.
Best time to call between Lagos and Accra
Both Lagos and Accra sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 10:00 AM–5:00 PM WAT, which is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM GMT. That gives roughly 7 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
Lagos and Accra share 7 hours of working-hours overlap (10:00 AM–5:00 PM WAT), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
Lagos is 1 hour behind Accra (WAT UTC+01:00 → GMT UTC+00:00). The shared working window is 10:00 AM–5:00 PM WAT. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
Learn More About Time
Dive deeper into the fascinating world of timekeeping, time zones, and how they shape our global society:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between Lagos and Accra?
Lagos (WAT, UTC+01:00) is 1 hour behind Accra (GMT, UTC+00:00). The gap is currently -1h.
How do I convert Lagos time to Accra time?
Add -1h to Lagos local time. For example, 9:00 AM in Lagos is 8:00 AM in Accra.
What time is it in Accra right now?
Accra uses GMT at UTC+00:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the -1h offset from Lagos.
What is the best time to call Accra from Lagos?
Call between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM WAT — that maps to 9:00 AM–4:00 PM GMT and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is behind, Lagos or Accra?
Lagos is 1 hour behind Accra. When it is 12:00 PM in Lagos it is 11:00 AM in Accra.
Do Lagos and Accra use different time zones?
Lagos (Nigeria) uses WAT at UTC+01:00, while Accra (Ghana) uses GMT at UTC+00:00. The IANA identifiers are Africa/Lagos and Africa/Accra.
Does daylight saving time affect the Lagos–Accra difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the -1h offset between Lagos and Accra is fixed all year.
Which other cities share Lagos's time zone?
WAT also covers Lagos, Abuja, Douala, Yaoundé, Luanda, Kinshasa, Brazzaville.
Which countries use WAT, Lagos's zone?
WAT is used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Angola, Niger, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea.
Is there a day difference between Lagos and Accra?
Not normally. The -1h gap only pushes the date over the previous day.
What is the time difference between Lagos and Accra?
Accra is -1h from Lagos.
What timezone is Lagos in?
Lagos operates on West Africa Time (WAT), UTC+1. As Africa's largest city and Nigeria's economic hub, Lagos is the center of African fintech innovation.
What timezone is Accra in?
Accra operates on its local timezone.
What are the business hours in Lagos?
Standard business hours in Lagos are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM WAT.
Which countries use WAT (West Africa Time)?
WAT is used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Angola, Niger, and 2 more countries.
Does WAT observe daylight saving time?
No, WAT does not observe daylight saving time and remains at UTC+01:00 year-round.
What are some interesting facts about WAT?
Lagos, Nigeria is the most populous city in Africa. WAT is the same offset as CET (UTC+01:00).
Which cities are in the GMT timezone?
Major cities in the GMT timezone include London, Dublin, Lisbon, Accra, Reykjavik, Edinburgh, Casablanca, Dakar.
What is the UTC offset for GMT?
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is at UTC+00:00. During daylight saving time, it shifts to BST.
What should I know about the GMT timezone?
GMT is based on the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) passing through Greenwich, London. The Royal Observatory in Greenwich has been the reference point for GMT since 1884.
When is it midnight in Lagos, what time is it in Accra?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in Lagos (WAT), it is -1h later in Accra (GMT).
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