Nigeria passport ranking drops to 90th in the latest Henley Index, with citizens able to access 44 destinations without a prior visa

Nigeria’s passport ranking has dropped to 90th position in the latest Henley Passport Index, with holders of the Nigerian passport able to access 44 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance.

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The July 2026 global ranking, released by Henley & Partners on Tuesday, placed Nigeria 90th out of 199 passports assessed worldwide, with a visa-free score of 44.

The latest ranking represents a one-place decline from Nigeria’s previous position of 89th in the April 2026 edition, although the country’s visa-free access score remained unchanged.

The Nigeria passport ranking drops to 90th as countries continue to compete for stronger global mobility rankings based on diplomatic relations, international confidence and ease of travel.

Henley & Partners said the index, released during its 20th anniversary year, measures passport strength according to the number of destinations holders can enter without obtaining a visa before travelling.

The ranking covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, using data supplied by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Among African countries, South Africa retained the continent’s strongest passport, ranking 49th globally with access to 101 destinations.

Botswana followed in 61st place with 81 destinations, while Morocco ranked 67th with access to 71 destinations. Kenya placed 68th with 70 destinations, and Ghana ranked 70th with a visa-free score of 67.

Nigeria ranked alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan, all recording access to 44 destinations without a prior visa.

Globally, Singapore retained the world’s strongest passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations.

Japan ranked second with 188 destinations, while South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Sweden shared third place with access to 187 destinations.

The United States ranked 10th globally with access to 180 destinations, while Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the ranking with access to only 22 destinations.

Nigeria’s latest position follows a period of mixed movement. Between January 2024 and April 2026, the country improved six places from 95th to 89th despite losing access to some visa-free destinations.

The April 2026 report noted that Nigeria lost visa-free access to countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe and Somalia, while gaining access to some Pacific island destinations.

Also read: Top 10 African Central Banks With the Biggest International Reserves

The latest ranking highlights Nigeria’s continued challenge in improving international travel access compared with several African countries that currently hold stronger passports.

Full List: 2026 Henley Passport Index Rankings (Selected Countries)