Nigeria’s passport has experienced a dramatic decline in global mobility, according to the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index.
In July 2026, Nigeria ranked 90th, but it has now plummeted to 181st out of 196 countries—a significant drop that signals reduced international travel access for Nigerian citizens.
Data from IziVisa.com indicates that Nigerian passport holders can currently travel to 24 countries visa-free, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries, and access 43 countries through electronic visas.
This is a sharp decrease from July 2026, when the passport allowed visa-free access to 44 destinations. The drop in the visa-free score from 44 to 24 highlights the marked reduction in countries Nigerians can visit without securing a visa beforehand.
IziVisa ranks passports based on the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa, considering categories such as visa-free entry, visas on arrival, and electronic visas. The index aims to measure the freedom of movement available to each country’s passport holders.
The United Arab Emirates topped the 2026 ranking, offering its citizens access to 185 of 198 destinations without a pre-arranged visa. Switzerland followed in second place with access to 120 visa-free destinations, 26 with visas on arrival, and 37 via electronic visas.
Other high-ranking countries included Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain, and Finland. IziVisa noted that these figures underscore the significant disparity in international travel freedom between countries.
In contrast, the July 2026 Henley Passport Index placed Nigeria 90th out of 199 passports, with a visa-free score of 44 destinations. This ranking, released by Henley & Partners, was based on data from the International Air Transport Association and reflected a one-place drop from April 2026, though Nigeria’s visa-free score remained unchanged.
Comparatively, among African nations, South Africa ranked highest at 49th globally with visa-free access to 101 destinations, followed by Botswana (61st, 81 destinations), Morocco (67th, 71 destinations), Kenya (68th, 70 destinations), and Ghana (70th, 67 destinations). Nigeria was grouped with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan, each offering visa-free access to 44 destinations according to Henley.
The stark differences between the IziVisa and Henley rankings highlight the impact of differing methodologies and coverage, making direct comparison challenging. Nonetheless, both indices reflect the current challenges facing Nigerian passport holders in terms of global mobility.
