By Peter Omopo
The Nigerian passport has climbed to 89th position out of 199 countries in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, marking a modest improvement from its 94th-place ranking at the end of 2025.
The latest ranking, published in January, shows that Nigeria also reached its highest position in five years last July when it rose to 88th place.
Compiled annually, the Henley Passport Index draws on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and expert analysis to assess the relative strength of passports worldwide based on visa-free travel access.
Nigeria shares the 89th spot with Myanmar, with both countries recording a visa-free score of 44. This score reflects the number of destinations Nigerian passport holders can access without a visa, or where they can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit or an electronic travel authority.
Within Africa, the Nigerian passport is ranked as the seventh least powerful, ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Libya and Eritrea. Seychelles remains the continent’s strongest passport, followed by Mauritius and South Africa.
Globally, Singapore retained its position at the top of the index, granting its citizens access to 192 destinations, while Afghanistan remained at the bottom with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to just 24 countries.
The latest ranking underscores the continued visa challenges faced by Nigerian travellers, despite the marginal gains recorded in recent years.
