Global Mobility: Nigeria Passport Ranking Up Slightly, Still Among Africa’s Least Powerful
- Nigeria’s passport has advanced slightly in the Henley Passport Index, moving from 92nd to 88th position globally
- Despite the gain, it remains among the weakest passports in Africa with visa-free access to just 45 countries
- Meanwhile, regional neighbours like Seychelles and Mauritius continue to lead the continent with far greater global mobility
Nigeria’s passport has climbed four spots on the 2025 Henley Passport Index, moving from 92nd to 88th place. However, it still remained one of the weakest passports in Africa, offering visa-free access to only 45 countries.
The latest rankings were published on Wednesday and are based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Source: Getty Images
The Index assessed 199 passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without needing a visa. Nigeria shared its new position with Ethiopia and Myanmar, countries that also grant access to 45 destinations visa-free.
As of the time of publication, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had not issued a statement regarding the country’s placement on the index. BBC Pidgin also reported unsuccessful attempts to reach the minister for comments.
Nigeria trails behind regional counterparts
Nigeria’s ranking continues to lag far behind top-performing African countries. Seychelles was named Africa’s highest-ranking passport, securing the 24th position globally with visa-free access to 156 countries.
Mauritius followed closely at 29th globally with access to 151 countries, while South Africa landed at 48th with 106 visa-free destinations.
Other countries ahead of Nigeria included Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Malawi. In contrast, Nigeria was listed among the ten weakest passports on the continent, alongside Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Republic of Congo.
Singapore holds top spot
Singapore maintained its leadership as the world’s most powerful passport, granting visa-free entry to 193 countries. Japan and South Korea ranked second with access to 190 destinations, reinforcing Asia’s dominance at the top of the list.
Seven European nations, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain, tied for third place, each offering access to 189 destinations without a visa. The fourth tier included Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden with 188 countries.
The United Kingdom dropped to sixth position, with holders gaining entry to 186 countries visa-free—a decline compared to previous years.
Visa-free access dips for some nations
Countries including the United States, Venezuela, the United Kingdom and Vanuatu saw significant drops in their global rankings, while India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar emerged as the fastest climbers, expanding their visa-free reach in the past six months compared to 2024.
Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the index with access to just 25 countries. Other countries with limited visa-free access included Syria (27), Iraq (30), Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen (32), and Libya and Nepal (38). South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 90th with access to 43 countries.
Source: Getty Images
Getting Nigerian passport in North
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has denied the accusation of discrimination over passport charges across different regions in the country.
The denial was a response to a Nigerian on social media, who alleged that the agency favours the northern region over the south as he claimed the amount paid for the Nigerian passport in Kaduna is less than the actual amount in Ekiti.
The commission debunked the allegation on its verified Twitter page on Thursday, September 1. In the comment session, other netizens shared screenshots of how the prices for the Nigerian passport issuance show the difference in payment between the two regions.
Source: Legit.ng
