The Nigerian passport has recorded a modest improvement in the global mobility index, rising to 88th position out of 199 countries in the latest Henley Passport Index released on 18 July 2025.
This marks Nigeria’s highest placement in the last five years.
The Henley Passport Index, published quarterly, draws from exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and offers expert insight into global travel freedom trends.
Nigeria now shares the 88th position with Ethiopia and Myanmar, maintaining its grouping with these countries since an earlier ranking at 91st earlier this year.
In comparison, Nigeria ranked 92nd in 2024 and had dropped as low as 97th in the second half of 2023, falling behind several African counterparts such as Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia.
Despite the improved ranking, the strength of the Nigerian passport remains largely unchanged in practical terms. It currently offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 45 countries, a figure similar to previous years.
The 2025 ranking places Nigeria ahead of only six African countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia.
This trend mirrors last year’s placement, suggesting that while the rank has improved, actual travel freedom remains limited.
Seychelles retained its position as Africa’s highest-ranking passport, although it slipped slightly on the global index from 22nd in March to 24th in July, with visa-free access to 156 countries.
On the global scale, Singapore continues to top the list with the world’s most powerful passport, granting holders access to 193 countries. Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the index, with access to just 25 countries.
The United States, which once held the number one spot in 2014, has now fallen to 10th place in the latest rankings.
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