Nigeria has improved its position in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, moving from 103rd to 89th place, according to the latest report by Henley & Partners.
The Henley Passport Index measures how strong passports are around the world. It ranks 199 countries based on how many places their citizens can visit without getting a visa before travelling.
The ranking uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has one of the world’s largest travel databases, along with research by Henley & Partners.
Under the 2026 ranking, Nigerian passport holders can travel to about 44 destinations without a prior visa. These include countries that allow visa on arrival, electronic travel authorisation, or visitor permits.
Despite the improvement, Nigeria’s passport is still considered weak compared to many others. This continues to limit how freely Nigerians can travel around the world.
Other African countries perform better. Seychelles has the strongest passport in Africa, while Mauritius and South Africa also rank higher than Nigeria. South Africa is placed within the top 50 globally.
At the global level, Singapore remains the strongest passport in the world, giving its citizens visa-free access to over 190 countries. Japan and several European countries such as Germany, France, Spain, and Italy follow closely, with access to more than 180 destinations.
The index gives one point for each country that can be visited without a visa or with easy entry conditions. Countries that require full visas or government approval before travel score zero.
Nigeria still faces strict visa rules from many countries in Europe, North America, and Asia, which affects its overall ranking.
The report also notes a growing gap in global travel freedom. While people from top-ranked countries can visit almost 200 destinations easily, those from the lowest-ranked countries can access fewer than 30.
For Nigeria, weak passport power affects business, education, tourism, and migration. Nigerians often face long visa processes, high costs, and strict requirements.
However, experts see Nigeria’s rise in ranking as a positive but slow improvement.
They say stronger diplomacy, better migration policies, and improved international relations are needed for Nigeria to gain more global travel access in the future.
