Africa's Most Powerful Passports Revealed, with Nigeria Slipping to 45th on the Continent and 90th Worldwide

Nigeria's passport has been ranked 45th in Africa and 90th globally, according to the July 2026 global passport ranking released by Henley & Partners, with holders able to access 44 destinations without a prior visa.

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This positioning indicates that Nigeria has one of the weakest passports on the continent, tied with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 90th place worldwide.

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Only a few African countries have passports that rank below Nigeria's on the index, highlighting the country's relatively restricted travel freedom.

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South Africa has retained its top spot as the most powerful passport in Africa, climbing to 49th globally and offering visa-free access to 101 destinations, making it the only African country to provide access to over 100 countries without a prior visa.

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Botswana ranks second in Africa and 61st globally, with access to 81 destinations, followed closely by Namibia in third place on the continent and 65th worldwide with access to 74 countries.

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Lesotho occupies fourth place in Africa, ranking 66th globally with access to 73 destinations, while Eswatini and Morocco share fifth place on the continent and 67th globally with visa-free access to 71 countries.

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Nigeria's current ranking comes after the country climbed six places on the Henley Passport Index between January 2024 and April 2026, rising from 95th to 89th globally despite its visa-free access dropping from 45 to 44 destinations.

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Globally, Singapore has retained its position as the world's most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations, followed by Japan in second place with access to 188 destinations.

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South Korea and the United Arab Emirates share third place globally, with access to 187 countries each, while the United States ranks 10th globally, with its passport granting visa-free access to 180 destinations.

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The world's weakest passports are held by Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, with Afghanistan remaining at the bottom of the rankings with access to just 22 destinations.

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The full list of African passport rankings reveals a range of positions, with South Africa ranking 49th globally with access to 101 destinations, Botswana 61st with access to 81 destinations, and Namibia 65th with access to 74 destinations.

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Lesotho ranks 66th globally with access to 73 destinations, while Eswatini and Morocco share 67th place with access to 71 countries, and Kenya and Malawi share 68th place with access to 70 destinations each.

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Rwanda, Tanzania, and The Gambia share 69th place with access to 68 destinations, followed by Ghana in 70th place with access to 67 destinations, and Tunisia in 71st place with access to 66 destinations.

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Benin and Uganda share 72nd place with access to 65 destinations each, while Cape Verde and Zambia share 73rd place with access to 64 destinations, and Sierra Leone ranks 74th with access to 63 destinations.

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Mozambique ranks 76th with access to 60 destinations, São Tomé and Príncipe 77th with access to 59 destinations, and Burkina Faso and Togo share 79th place with access to 57 destinations each.

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Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Madagascar, and Senegal share 80th place with access to 56 destinations each, while Algeria and Mauritania share 81st place with access to 55 destinations each.

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Equatorial Guinea and Niger share 82nd place with access to 54 destinations each, Guinea and Mali share 83rd place with access to 53 destinations each, and Chad, Comoros, and Guinea-Bissau share 85th place with access to 51 destinations each.

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Angola, Egypt, and Liberia share 86th place with access to 49 destinations each, while Burundi, Cameroon, and Central African Republic share 87th place with access to 48 destinations each.

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Republic of the Congo ranks 88th with access to 45 destinations, Djibouti ranks 89th with access to 45 destinations, and Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria share 90th place with access to 44 destinations each.