TradeWAT › Forex sessions in WAT
Forex trading sessions in Nigeria time (WAT)
Nigeria keeps West Africa Time (UTC+1) all year. London and New York move their clocks twice a year, so the hours you trade in Lagos shift with them. The clock below works it out for today.
--:-- in Lagos now (WAT)
- Sydney22:00 to 07:00 WAT
- Tokyo01:00 to 10:00 WAT
- London09:00 to 18:00 WAT
- New York13:00 to 22:00 WAT
Session hours in WAT, summer and winter
| Session | Late March to late October | November to mid-March |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 23:00 to 08:00 WAT | 22:00 to 07:00 WAT |
| Tokyo | 01:00 to 10:00 WAT | 01:00 to 10:00 WAT |
| London | 08:00 to 17:00 WAT | 09:00 to 18:00 WAT |
| New York | 13:00 to 22:00 WAT | 14:00 to 23:00 WAT |
| London and New York overlap | 13:00 to 17:00 WAT | 14:00 to 18:00 WAT |
For a few weeks each year Europe and the US change their clocks on different dates: in late March and from late October to early November. In those weeks the overlap stretches or shrinks by an hour; the live clock above already allows for it.
Which hours suit you
- Working 8 to 5 in Lagos? The evening New York session (after 17:00 WAT) is still liquid for USD pairs and gold, though less busy than the overlap.
- Trading in the afternoon? The overlap is the busiest window of the day. Spreads are usually tightest then.
- Night owl? From about 22:00 to 07:00 WAT, Sydney and Tokyo lead. Majors move less and spreads can widen; JPY and AUD pairs are more active.
Most major US data comes out at 08:30 New York time: 13:30 WAT in summer, 14:30 WAT in winter. Spreads can jump and stops can slip in the first minutes. If you are new, sit those minutes out.
Weekend gap and rollover
The market closes on Friday evening and reopens on Sunday night, Lagos time. Prices can open far from Friday's close, jumping straight over a stop-loss. Positions held past the daily rollover, around 22:00 to 23:00 WAT, pay or earn a swap. Your platform shows server time, which is often not WAT: check the clock in the terminal before you plan around it.
Practise on the hours you will really trade
A demo is most useful when you use it at the same time of day you plan to trade live, because spreads and speed depend on the session. A two-week plan: the FxPro demo from Nigeria. What spreads look like at different hours: FxPro spreads and commission.
Questions people ask
What time does the forex market open in Nigeria?
The forex week opens on Sunday at 22:00 WAT while New York is on summer time (mid-March to early November) and at 23:00 WAT in winter. It closes on Friday at the same hour.
What is the best time to trade forex in Nigeria?
Usually the London and New York overlap: about 13:00 to 17:00 WAT from late March to late October, about 14:00 to 18:00 WAT from early November to mid-March. Spreads are tightest and moves are clearest then.
What time does the London session open in Nigeria?
08:00 WAT from late March to late October, 09:00 WAT for the rest of the year, because London changes its clocks and Nigeria does not.
What time does the New York session open in Nigeria?
13:00 WAT from mid-March to early November and 14:00 WAT in winter.
What is the best time to trade gold in Nigeria?
Gold (XAUUSD) is most active when London and New York overlap, the same afternoon window in WAT. Big US data, often released at 13:30 WAT in summer and 14:30 WAT in winter, can move it sharply.
Does Nigeria change the clocks?
No. Nigeria stays on WAT, UTC+1, all year. The sessions move because Europe, the US and Australia change their clocks.