Nigeria’s passport has climbed six places in the latest global passport rankings, but Nigerians can now access fewer countries without a visa.
According to the latest Henley Passport Index, the Nigerian passport moved from 95th position in January 2024 to 89th in April 2026. However, the number of destinations Nigerians can enter without securing a visa beforehand dropped from 46 to 44.
The ranking, compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association, evaluates 199 passports based on visa-free and visa-on-arrival access worldwide.
The report showed that while Nigeria gained access to destinations such as Fiji, Samoa, Micronesia, Rwanda and Mozambique, several countries tightened entry rules for Nigerians in recent years. Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Somalia now require Nigerians to obtain visas before travel.
Analysts said the improved ranking does not necessarily reflect stronger passport power, as some countries previously ranked below Nigeria also dropped further in the global index.
The report noted that Nigeria’s passport has fallen significantly over the last two decades, dropping from 62nd position in 2006 to 89th in 2026.
Within West Africa, Nigeria remains among the region’s weakest passports. Ghana ranked 67th globally with access to 67 destinations, while The Gambia ranked 66th with 68 visa-free destinations.
Globally, Singapore retained the world’s most powerful passport with access to 192 destinations without a prior visa, while Afghanistan remained the weakest with access to only 23 destinations.
