Nigerian Passport Among Bottom 10 Worst-Performing Globally

Jumoke Olasunkanmi

The Henley Passport Index has listed the Nigerian passport among the bottom 10 worst-performing travel documents globally.

The index revealed that Nigeria has experienced a further decline in its global ranking, placing the Nigerian green passport among the lowest-ranked, alongside countries like Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Afghanistan.

According to the index, the top performers are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain, whose passports provide visa-free access to 194 countries.

Following closely, Finland, South Korea, and Sweden secured the second position with access to 193 nations without a visa, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands claimed the third spot.

Nigeria, alongside Iran, Lebanon, and Sudan, landed at the 95th position out of the 199 passports assessed.

This means that holders of these passports face limited access, with only 45 countries allowing entry without a visa. Notably, Nigeria has dropped significantly below South Africa, ranking 53rd, where passport holders can enter 108 nations without the need for a visa.

This decline continues a trend from the previous year when Nigeria ranked 180th out of 199 nations, indicating a consistent erosion of the country’s international standing.

Surprisingly, several African nations outshine Nigeria in passport rankings, with Ghana at 76th, the Benin Republic at 79th, Togo at 83rd, and Nigér Republic at 85th, all securing better positions.

The report underscores the challenges faced by Nigerian passport holders in terms of global travel and highlights the need for efforts to improve the passport’s standing on the global stage.