The Nigerian passport has reached its highest position in five years, climbing to 88th place out of 199 countries in the latest Henley Passport Index released on July 18.
Despite this upward movement, the passport still provides limited travel freedom, allowing visa-free access to only 45 countries.
The Henley Passport Index, which is regularly updated using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and expert insights, tracks global trends in passport power and travel accessibility.
Nigeria now shares the 88th spot with Ethiopia and Myanmar—the same countries it was grouped with earlier this year when it ranked 91st. While the new ranking marks a slight improvement, the overall travel benefits of the Nigerian passport remain largely unchanged from 2024, when it was placed 92nd.
In July 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th but later fell to 97th, trailing behind several African nations such as Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia. In 2022, it stood at 98th, following a low point of 103rd in 2021.
Currently, Nigeria ranks higher than only six African countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia—consistent with last year’s standings.
Seychelles continues to hold the top spot among African nations, despite slipping to 24th globally, with visa-free access to 156 countries—down from 22nd in March.
On a global scale, Singapore maintained its lead with access to 193 destinations, while Afghanistan remains at the bottom with visa-free entry to just 25 countries.
The United States, which once topped the list in 2014, has dropped to 10th place.
Top 10 Passports in the 2025 Henley Passport Index:
- Singapore – 193 destinations
- Japan, South Korea – 190
- Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain – 189
- Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden – 188
- Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland – 187
- United Kingdom – 186
- Australia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland – 185
- Canada, Estonia, United Arab Emirates – 184
- Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia – 183
- Iceland, Lithuania, United States – 182
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