Nigerian Passport Climbs To 89th Spot In Global Ranking

The Nigerian passport has ranked 89th place out of 199 in the 2026 Henley Passport Index.

The index is updated annually, and is premised on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), and expert analyses on latest shifts in passport power.

Last July, the passport placed 88th — its highest ranking in five years. It later slippedto the 94th position as the year drew to a close.

Henley & Partners, the travel firm, receives exclusive data from the IATA, which forms the basis of the index.

The latest ranking was released in January.
Nigeria shared the 89th position with Myanmar — with a visa free score of 44.

The index defines its visa free score as the total number of destinations for which passport holders do not require a visa, but also applies if travellers can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.

In Africa, the Nigerian passport was only ranked above the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Libya, and Eritrea, retaining its spot as the seventh least desirable passport on the continent.

Seychelles retained its spot as Africa’s most favoured passport, followed by Mauritius and South Africa.

Singapore’s remained the most powerful passport, with access to 192 nations, while Afghanistan still ranked last, with access to 24 countries.