Nigerian Passport Drops in Global Ranking; Number of Countries Nigerians Can Enter Visa-Free Shrinks
- Nigeria's passport ranked 90th globally, facing persistent travel limitations with access to only 44 destinations
- South Africa, Botswana and Morocco outperform Nigeria in African passport rankings, highlighting regional disparities
- Henley Passport Index shows mixed trends for Nigeria, reflecting minor improvements overshadowed by recent declines
Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
Nigeria’s passport has slipped further in the latest global passport ranking, highlighting the continued travel limitations faced by many Nigerians seeking easier access to destinations abroad.
The Henley Passport Index for July 2026 ranked the Nigerian passport 90th out of 199 passports worldwide, with holders able to enter only 44 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance.
Source: Getty Images
The latest ranking, released by Henley & Partners, represents a one-place decline from Nigeria’s 89th position in the April 2026 edition of the index. Although the country’s visa-free score remained unchanged at 44 destinations, the drop in ranking reflects improvements by other nations.
Nigeria’s position slips
According to Henley & Partners, the Henley Passport Index measures the travel freedom of passport holders by counting the number of destinations they can access without securing a prior visa.
The index, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Nigeria’s passport now shares the 90th position with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan, both of which also offer visa-free access to 44 destinations.
The ranking underscores the persistent challenges Nigerians face in international mobility, as many countries continue to impose strict visa requirements on Nigerian travellers.
African countries outperform Nigeria
Several African nations ranked significantly higher than Nigeria in the latest index.
South Africa retained the continent’s strongest passport, ranking 49th globally with visa-free access to 101 destinations.
Botswana followed in 61st place with access to 81 destinations, while Morocco ranked 67th with 71 destinations.
Kenya shared the 68th position with access to 70 destinations, and Ghana ranked 70th with a visa-free score of 67.
These rankings place Nigeria behind several of its African peers, despite being one of the continent’s largest economies and most populous nations.
Global leaders and laggards
On the global stage, Singapore retained the title of the world’s most powerful passport, granting holders visa-free access to 192 destinations.
Japan ranked second with access to 188 destinations, while South Korea and the United Arab Emirates shared third place with 187 destinations each.
The United States ranked 10th, offering its citizens visa-free access to 180 destinations.
At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan remained the world’s weakest passport, with access to only 22 destinations. Syria ranked 103rd with 25 destinations, while Iraq placed 102nd with access to 28 destinations.
A mixed trend for Nigeria
Nigeria’s latest decline comes after a period of improvement in the Henley Passport Index. Between January 2024 and April 2026, the country climbed six places from 95th to 89th, despite its visa-free access dropping from 45 to 44 destinations.
Source: Getty Images
Henley’s April 2026 report noted that Nigeria had lost visa-free access to countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe and Somalia over recent years.
However, Nigeria gained visa-free access to several Pacific island destinations, partly offsetting the losses.
Top Asian countries offering visa-on-arrival
Legit.ng earlier reported that travelling across Asia is becoming more accessible for Nigerian passport holders as several countries have simplified their entry requirements.
While many destinations still require traditional visas, a growing number now offer visa-on-arrival (VoA) or Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), making travel easier for tourism, business and short visits.
Visa-on-arrival allows travellers to obtain their visa after landing at the destination, while an eTA is an online travel approval secured before departure, usually through a simple digital application.
Source: Legit.ng
