Nigerian Passport climbs to 91st place according to Henley Index

Nigeria has climbed to 91st place in the latest global passport ranking out of many countries.

According, to the Henley Passport Index for 2025, Nigeria was ranked 91st alongside Ethiopia and Myanmar. The Henley Passport Index is updated monthly based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA).

In Africa, the Nigerian passport was ranked above only a few, including those from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia, making it the seventh least desirable travel document from Africa. In 2024, it was the sixth.

The rating comes as Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, said the ministry had succeeded in redeeming Nigeria’s image abroad. “The next stage is to exalt and glorify Nigeria’s image,” the minister said at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja, recounting how the ministry negotiated the release of wrongfully imprisoned Nigerians in unnamed countries.

Although the rating marks a slight improvement in Nigeria’s global image, travel access for citizens remains restricted, with the country retaining visa-free access to only 45 nations the same as last year.

In July 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th on the global passport list but later fell to 97th, below African countries like Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia, reflecting a significant shift in the nation’s visa policy. The passport made a comeback in 2024, climbing to the 92nd spot.

Meanwhile, Seychelles retained its position as the most favoured African passport, improving its ranking to 22nd. Singapore remained the most powerful passport with access to 193 nations, while Afghanistan held last place with access to just 25 countries.