The Nigerian passport has achieved its highest position in half a decade, climbing to 88th out of 199 in the latest Henley Passport Index released on July 18.
The index, compiled using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and expert analysis, reflects the current global mobility landscape based on visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
Nigeria now shares the 88th spot with Ethiopia and Myanmar, the same group of countries it was tied with earlier this year when it ranked 91st.
However, the improved ranking still only allows Nigerians visa-free access to 45 countries, maintaining a limited travel scope similar to last year’s, when the passport stood at 92nd place.
In July 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th before dropping to 97th later that year, placing it behind several African nations, including Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia.
In 2022, Nigeria placed 98th, having slightly recovered from its 2021 low of 103rd in the global standings.
Despite the recent rise, Nigeria still ranks just above six African countries—Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia—mirroring the trends observed last year.
Seychelles retained its position as Africa’s most powerful passport, though it dropped slightly to 24th globally, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 156 countries. The island nation had ranked 22nd in March.
Globally, Singapore held onto the top spot with access to 193 countries, while Afghanistan remained at the bottom, offering its citizens visa-free access to just 25 nations.
The United States, once ranked first in 2014, has now fallen to 10th place in the latest index.