Nigeriaβs Passport Plunges From 90th To 181st Position. Visa-Free Access Falls From 44 Destinations To 24
Nigeriaβs passport has reportedly dropped to 181st out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, down from 90th position in July 2026.
According to data published on
IziVisa.com, Nigerians can travel to 24 countries visa-free, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries and access 43 countries through electronic visas.
The report highlights a decline in Nigeriaβs visa-free score from 44 destinations in July to 24 in the latest IziVisa ranking.
IziVisa explained that passports are ranked according to the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a visa beforehand, including visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas.
The United Arab Emirates leads the 2026 ranking, with access to 185 of 198 destinations through the three travel categories, while Switzerland occupies second position. Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland also feature prominently.
Separately, the July 2026 Henley Passport Index placed Nigeria 90th out of 199 passports, with visa-free access to 44 destinations. The index, published by Henley & Partners, assesses passports against 227 travel destinations using data from the International Air Transport Association.
Among African countries, South Africa ranked 49th globally, with access to 101 destinations, followed by Botswana in 61st position with 81 destinations. Morocco ranked 67th with 71 destinations, while Kenya placed 68th with 70.
Ghana ranked 70th, with access to 67 destinations, while Nigeria shared its position with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan in the Henley ranking.
However, the IziVisa and Henley indices use different methodologies and coverage, meaning their rankings are not directly comparable.