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.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
