Nigeria has slipped to 90th position in the latest Henley Passport Index, with the country's passport retaining visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 44 destinations around the world.
The July 2026 rankings, released by global residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, showed Nigeria dropping one place from its 89th position in the April edition of the index, although its visa-free travel score remained unchanged.
The Henley Passport Index ranks passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a visa before travelling. The ranking covers 199 passports and 227 destinations using data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Nigeria is tied in 90th place with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan, with citizens of the three countries able to travel to 44 destinations without securing a visa in advance.
South Africa retained the strongest passport on the African continent, ranking 49th globally with visa-free access to 101 destinations.
Botswana followed in 61st place with access to 81 destinations, while Morocco ranked 67th with 71 destinations. Kenya placed 68th with access to 70 destinations, and Ghana came 70th with visa-free access to 67 destinations.
At the global level, Singapore remained the world's most powerful passport, allowing holders to travel to 192 destinations without a prior visa.
Japan occupied second place with access to 188 destinations, while South Korea and the United Arab Emirates shared third position with visa-free access to 187 destinations.
The United States ranked 10th on the list, with its passport providing access to 180 destinations.
Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the index, with its passport offering visa-free access to just 22 destinations. Iraq ranked 102nd with 28 destinations, while Syria placed 103rd with access to 25 destinations.
The latest report follows Nigeria's gradual improvement in the rankings between January 2024 and April 2026, when it climbed from 95th to 89th position despite a reduction in the number of countries offering Nigerians visa-free entry.
Henley & Partners noted that Nigeria had lost visa-free access to several African countries in recent years, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe and Somalia, although the country also gained access to a number of Pacific island destinations during the same period.
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