Nigeria

Full List of Africa's Strongest Passports in 2026 as Nigeria Ranks 45th on Continent, 90th Globally

Published 22 Jul 2026

by Ibrahim Sofiyullaha

3 min read

Nigeria was ranked the 45th strongest passport in Africa and 90th globally, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 44 destinations
South Africa retained its position as Africa's strongest passport, becoming the continent's only passport with access to more than 100 destinations
Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and Morocco completed the top six strongest passports in Africa

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The latest Henley Passport Index has ranked African passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance.

According to the July 2026 edition of the global ranking, South Africa retained its position as Africa's strongest passport, while Nigeria ranked 45th on the continent and 90th globally.

Nigeria shared the 90th global position with the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Nigerian passport ranks 45th in Africa in the latest Henley Passport Index. Photo: Getty
Source: Getty Images

The Nigerian passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 44 destinations, placing it among the weakest travel documents in Africa. Nigeria shares the 90th global position with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Globally, Singapore remained the world's most powerful passport with access to 192 destinations without a prior visa. Japan followed in second place with access to 188 destinations, while South Korea and the United Arab Emirates jointly occupied third place with access to 187 destinations.

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Below is the full ranking of African passports in the latest Henley Passport Index.

1. South Africa

Global rank: 49th
Visa-free/visa-on-arrival destinations: 101

2. Botswana

Global rank: 61st
Destinations: 81

3. Namibia

Global rank: 65th
Destinations: 74

4. Lesotho

Global rank: 66th
Destinations: 73

5. Eswatini

Global rank: 67th
Destinations: 71

6. Morocco

Global rank: 67th
Destinations: 71

7. Kenya

Global rank: 68th
Destinations: 70

8. Malawi

Global rank: 68th
Destinations: 70

9. Rwanda

Global rank: 69th
Destinations: 68

10. Tanzania

Global rank: 69th
Destinations: 68

11. The Gambia

Global rank: 69th
Destinations: 68

12. Ghana

Global rank: 70th
Destinations: 67

13. Tunisia

Global rank: 71st
Destinations: 66

14. Benin

Global rank: 72nd
Destinations: 65

15. Uganda

Global rank: 72nd
Destinations: 65

16. Cape Verde

Global rank: 73rd
Destinations: 64

17. Zambia

Global rank: 73rd
Destinations: 64

18. Sierra Leone

Global rank: 74th
Destinations: 63

19. Zimbabwe

Global rank: 75th
Destinations: 61

NIN: NIMC releases number of registered Nigerians

Legit.ng earlier reported that NIMC disclosed that the number of Nigerians enrolled in the National Identification Number (NIN) database had reached 127 million as of December 2025.

Data obtained from the commission’s website show that as of October 31, 2025, total NIN enrolment stood at 123.9 million, with Lagos State recording the highest number of registered individuals at over 13 million. Gender data showed that as of October 2025, over 54.2 million females and about 69.7 million males had been captured in the national identity database.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:

Ibrahim Sofiyullaha (Editorial Assistant) Ibrahim Sofiyullaha is a graduate of First Technical University, Ibadan. He was the founder and pioneer Editor-in-Chief of a fast-rising campus journalism outfit at his university. Ibrahim is a coauthor of the book Julie, or Sylvia, written in collaboration with two prominent Western authors. He was ranked as the 9th best young writer in Africa by the International Sports Press Association. Ibrahim has contributed insightful articles for major platforms, including Sportskeeda in the UK and Motherly in the United States. Email: ibrahim.sofiyullaha@corp.legit.ng

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