BREAKING: Eye-Saw As Nigeria’s Passport Slumps To 181st Among 196 countries
NIGERIA’S passport has been ranked 181st out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, with holders able to enter only 24 countries without obtaining a visa in advance.
Data published on IziVisa.com showed that Nigerian passport holders can also obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries, while 43 destinations offer electronic visas.
The ranking highlights the limited international travel access available to Nigerian passport holders, particularly compared with countries whose citizens can visit a much larger number of destinations without securing prior visa approval.
According to IziVisa, its index assesses passports based on the travel access available to their holders, including visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas.
The United Arab Emirates topped the 2026 ranking, with its passport providing access to 185 of 198 destinations through a combination of visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas.
Switzerland ranked second, offering access to 120 destinations without a visa, 26 through visas on arrival and 37 through electronic visas. Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland were also among the countries featured prominently in the ranking.
The IziVisa figures differ significantly from those published by Henley & Partners, whose July 2026 Henley Passport Index placed Nigeria 90th out of 199 passports, with visa-free access to 44 destinations.
Henley’s July ranking represented a one-place decline from Nigeria’s 89th position in April, although its visa-free score remained unchanged at 44 destinations.
The Henley index assesses 199 passports against 227 travel destinations using data from the International Air Transport Association.
Within Africa, South Africa ranked 49th globally, with access to 101 destinations without a prior visa. Botswana placed 61st with 81 destinations, while Morocco ranked 67th with 71.
Kenya occupied 68th position with access to 70 destinations, while Ghana ranked 70th with a score of 67. Nigeria shared its Henley ranking with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan.
The two rankings should not be interpreted as directly comparable because they use different methodologies and destination coverage. The figures published by IziVisa and Henley also distinguish between visa-free entry and other forms of access, including visas on arrival and electronic visas.
The difference between the indices highlights the importance of examining their respective methodologies when assessing the strength of a country’s passport and the travel options available to its citizens.
