The Nigerian passport has slipped to 90th place worldwide, tying with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Turkmenistan on the latest global rankings. The July 2026 Henley Passport Index placed Nigeria a spot lower than April, even though its visa-free access stayed flat at 44 destinations.
Henley & Partners compiled the index using IATA data to rank 199 passports across 227 travel destinations for its 20th anniversary edition. Nigeria’s passport now falls to ranks 45th in Africa, trailing far behind South Africa, the continent’s strongest at 49th globally with access to 101 countries.
Henley’s chairman says the widening global mobility gap increasingly reflects a country’s diplomatic influence, not just economic status. Nigerian travelers remain boxed into just 44 visa-free destinations for now, while other African nations pull further ahead.
