Nigerian Passport Rises To 88th In Global Ranking, Highest Position In Five Years

Nigeria’s passport got its best ranking in five years, landing at 88th out of 199 countries in the latest Henley Passport Index released on July 18.

The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and expert reviews that track how easy it is for passport holders to travel without a visa.

Nigeria now shares the 88th spot with Ethiopia and Myanmar, the same countries it was grouped with earlier this year when it was ranked 91st.

Even though the position has improved, Nigerian passport holders can still only travel to 45 countries without a visa. That’s about the same level of travel freedom as last year when it was ranked 92nd.

Back in July 2023, Nigeria ranked 90th but slipped to 97th later that year, falling behind other African nations like Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia.

In 2022, it was 98th, which was an improvement from 2021 when it hit a low of 103rd place.

In the latest report, Nigeria is ranked higher than only six other African countries like DR Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia, showing no major change from last year’s pattern.

Seychelles kept its spot as the most travel-friendly African passport, though it dropped to 24th globally, with access to 156 destinations. Just a few months ago in March, it was ranked 22nd.

Singapore remains at the top of the global list, offering visa-free travel to 193 countries.

At the bottom, Afghanistan still ranks last, with access to just 25 countries.

The United States, once number one in 2014, has dropped to the 10th spot in the latest ranking.

KanyiDaily recalls that Seychelles had imposed a ban on Nigerian passport holders from visiting the country for holiday purposes.