Nigeria improves in global passport ranking, secures 92nd spot

A new report has ranked Nigeria 92nd on the list of countries with the most visa-free access to other nations.

The report released by Henley and Partners on Tuesday is based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Countries’ rankings are monitored throughout the year, focusing on relevant visa-policy shifts for each nation.

In July 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th on the list but fell to 97th position below African countries like Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia, showing a significant shift in the nation’s visa policy.

In the latest ranking, Nigeria now is placed 92nd, alongside Lebanon and Myanmar — countries on the Asian continent — with visa-free access to 45 travel destinations.

Nigeria also ranked sixth lowest on the list of African countries with visa-free travel access, only above South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia.

Meanwhile, the Seychelles retained its 24th position as the highest-ranked African country with access to 156 countries.

Mauritius improved in the ranking, moving from 29th to 28th position with access to 150 countries, while South Africa came third in Africa but ranked 47th on the global stage with access to 106 countries without a prior visa.

Singapore came first on the global list, retaining the top spot, while France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain occupied the second position.

Citizens of Singapore, according to the ranking index, can visit 195 travel destinations—three more than that of last year.

Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden hold the third position with visa-free access to 191 destinations, while Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are in the fourth place with access to 190 destinations without a prior visa.

Canada joins the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Malta at the seventh spot, while the United States holds the eighth position with visa-free access to 186 destinations.

Maintaining its position as last year, Afghanistan stays at the bottom of the index, with a visa-free access score of just 26 countries, followed by Syria with 28, and Iraq with 31—the three weakest passports in the world.