Nigeria's travel document rises in worldwide standings, but loses ground in hassle-free travel destinations

The Nigerian passport has experienced a notable shift in its global ranking, climbing six places on the Henley Passport Index since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023, with its rank improving from 95 in January 2024 to 89 in the latest April 2026 edition.

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However, despite this improvement in ranking, the number of countries that Nigerian passport holders can visit without a visa has actually decreased by two destinations, with countries such as Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Somalia, Mauritania, and São Tomé and Príncipe now requiring a visa.

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According to the April 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index, Nigeria's visa-free destinations currently stand at 44, which is down from 46 in January 2025 and 45 in January 2024, indicating a decline in the passport's strength.

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The data from the Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports globally using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association, shows that while Nigeria's ranking has improved, its passport strength has not, with several countries ranked below Nigeria in prior editions also experiencing a decline.

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The Henley Passport Index, now in its 21st year, has seen the Nigerian passport fall 27 places from 62nd in 2006 to 89th in 2026, highlighting a long-term decline in the passport's strength.

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A comparison of the 46 destinations accessible to Nigerian passport holders in January 2025 with the 44 destinations available in April 2026 revealed that Nigeria gained access to nine new destinations, including Fiji, Micronesia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Togo, Samoa, Palau Islands, Niue, and Montserrat, but lost access to seven countries over the same period.

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One of the most notable losses is Ethiopia, which scrapped visa-on-arrival for Nigerian citizens in October 2022, now requiring Nigerians to obtain visas from the Ethiopian embassy in Abuja before traveling, marking a significant change in the country's visa policy.

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Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Somalia have also moved to a prior-visa requirement for Nigerians, with these changes being administrative rather than the result of formal bilateral disputes with Nigeria.

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Visa-free Pacific island nations such as Fiji, Samoa, Niue, Palau, Micronesia, and Montserrat currently operate open-door or minimal-visa-requirement policies that apply broadly to developing nations, offering Nigerian passport holders some new travel opportunities.

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In the 2026 ranking, Ghana ranked 67th globally with a visa-free score of 67, 23 destinations more than Nigeria, while The Gambia, a country of less than 2.5 million people, ranked 66th with 68 visa-free destinations, highlighting the varying strengths of West African passports.

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Senegal ranked 77th with 56 destinations, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire at 77th and 78th respectively with 56 and 55 destinations, and Guinea-Bissau at 83rd with 50 destinations, further illustrating the diversity of passport strengths in the region.

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South Africa maintained its lead as the strongest passport in Africa, ranked 46th globally, with its holders able to travel to 100 destinations visa-free, followed by Botswana, Namibia, Morocco, Kenya, and Ghana, which all have relatively strong passports.

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Globally, Singapore holds the world’s most powerful passport with a visa-free score of 192, edging ahead of Japan and South Korea, which share the second position at 187 alongside the United Arab Emirates, while Sweden, with 186 destinations, is ranked third.

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Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland jointly occupy fourth position with 185 visa-free destinations, highlighting the strong passport strengths of European countries.

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Austria, Greece, Malta, and Portugal are ranked fifth with 184 destinations, while Afghanistan holds the world’s weakest passport, with its holders able to access only 23 of 227 assessed destinations without a prior visa.

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The rest of the countries with the weakest passports include Syria with 26 destinations, Iraq with 29 destinations, Pakistan and Yemen with 31 destinations, Somalia with 32 destinations, Nepal and North Korea with 35 destinations, and Bangladesh with 36 destinations.

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Libya, with 39 destinations, and Eritrea, with 38 destinations, occupy ranks 93 and 94, respectively, in the Henley Passport Index, further highlighting the varying strengths of passports globally.

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Research Director, Centre for China Studies, Abuja, Charles Onunaiju, argued that the dwindling visa-free access Nigerians enjoy globally reflects the country’s internal challenges, stating that Nigeria's poor reputation and lack of opportunities are driving the decline in its passport strength.

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Onunaiju emphasized that Nigeria must address its internal issues, such as harnessing its human resources and providing opportunities for its citizens, in order to earn respect from outside and improve its passport strength, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the country's challenges.

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An ex-official of Nigeria’s passport issuing agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service, noted that visa-free mobility primarily reflects bilateral agreements between countries and within regional blocs, and that the Henley ranking is based on passport admissibility, which is largely a function of mutual understanding and reciprocity among countries.

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The official stated that the NIS is more concerned with deepening its passport technology to meet the standards of the ICAO, with the goal of ensuring that Nigeria's passport complies with ICAO guidelines, highlighting the importance of technical compliance in improving the country's passport strength.