Nigeria’s passport has improved slightly in global rankings, but Nigerians can now travel to fewer countries without a visa.
According to the latest Henley Passport Index (April 2026), Nigeria moved up from 95th place in January 2024 to 89th in 2026. This means the passport’s global ranking has improved by six places since President Bola Tinubu took office.
However, despite this improvement, the number of countries Nigerians can visit without a visa has dropped. Nigerians can now travel to only 44 countries without a visa, compared to 46 in 2025 and 45 in 2024.
Some countries that previously allowed Nigerians easy entry have now introduced stricter visa rules. These include Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Somalia. Nigerians must now apply for visas before travelling to these countries.
For example, Ethiopia stopped giving visas on arrival to Nigerians in 2022, meaning travellers must now get visas from its embassy before visiting.
On the other hand, Nigeria gained access to some new destinations between 2025 and 2026. These include Fiji, Micronesia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Togo, Samoa, Palau, Niue, and Montserrat. Many of these countries have relaxed visa policies for developing nations.
Experts say Nigeria’s higher ranking does not necessarily mean the passport is stronger. Instead, it may be because some other countries dropped further in the rankings.
In Africa, Nigeria still ranks low compared to other countries. Ghana, for example, ranks 67th and allows visa-free travel to 67 countries. South Africa remains the strongest in Africa, with access to 100 countries without a visa.
Globally, Singapore has the most powerful passport, allowing travel to 192 countries without a visa. At the bottom of the ranking is Afghanistan, with access to only 23 countries.
An analyst, Charles Onunaiju, said Nigeria’s limited visa-free access is linked to problems at home.
He explained that many Nigerians want to leave the country due to lack of opportunities, which makes other countries stricter with visa rules.
Officials from the Nigeria Immigration Service also said visa-free access mostly depends on agreements between countries, not just passport strength.
They added that efforts are ongoing to improve the quality and security of Nigeria’s passport.
