West Africa Time (WAT) is a time zone used in several countries in West Africa. It is consistent with UTC +1.
The differences between time zones are always specified in relation to the "Universal Time Coordinated" (UTC), which is the time on the prime meridian (zero longitude). For example, Phoenix is on the 122nd degree of longitude west and thus in the UTC-7 time zone.
Current West Africa Time: 00:00 Saturday, November 01, 2025
Countries in West Africa Time
WAT time applies to the following 15 countries:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the (western part)
- Congo, Republic of the
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Morocco
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Tunisia
- Western Sahara
Daylight Saving Time
In countries with the West Africa Time where a switch to daylight savings time is common, the clock is turned forward by one hour in summer. By doing so, they switch to Ramadan Time (RAM) and reach UTC +2.
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Although the timezone is named "West Africa Time", it is mostly for political reasons. It simply means that the beginning and ending of daylight savings time always apply here uniformly.
Geography Lesson: Time Zones Explained | Twig
There are some other countries in which the clock strikes the same hour. These countries have the same temporal distance to UTC (Universal Time Coordinated).
Further Countries in the same timezone of UTC +1
- Austria
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
| Time Zone | UTC Offset | Countries (Examples) | Daylight Saving Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Africa Time (WAT) | UTC+1 | Nigeria, Algeria, Angola | Observed in some countries, switches to UTC+2 (Ramadan Time) |
| Central European Time (CET) | UTC+1 | Germany, France, Italy | Observed, switches to UTC+2 (Central European Summer Time - CEST) |
The time zones and times listed here are based on the IANA "Olsen" time zone database. Designations and their translations were adapted separately.
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