Nigerian passport climbs to 88th in global ranking

The Nigerian passport has achieved its highest ranking in five years, moving up to 88th place out of 199 countries in the latest Henley Passport Index released on July 18.

The improvement comes despite the passport still offering limited travel freedom, with visa-free access to just 45 countries.

The Henley Passport Index, updated regularly using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and expert analysis, reflects global shifts in passport strength and travel accessibility.

Nigeria now shares the 88th position with Ethiopia and Myanmar, the same countries it was grouped with earlier this year when it ranked 91st. Though the new ranking indicates a modest rise, the overall travel privileges associated with the Nigerian passport remain largely unchanged from last year, when it stood at 92nd.

In July 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th but slipped to 97th later that year, behind several African countries including Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia. In 2022, the passport was ranked 98th, recovering from a low of 103rd in 2021.

The new index places Nigeria above just six African nations: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia; mirroring the trend observed last year.

Seychelles continues to lead as Africa’s most powerful passport, although it dropped to 24th globally with visa-free access to 156 countries, down from its 22nd position in March.

Globally, Singapore retained the top spot with access to 193 destinations, while Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the index, with visa-free access to only 25 countries.

The United States, once the global leader in 2014, fell to 10th place in the latest rankings.

See top 10 ranking below…