The Nigerian passport has been ranked the 10th Weakest Passport in Africa and 95th in the world, just above countries like Djibouti, South Sudan, and other war-torn countries in the middle-east.
The list was put together by Henley Passport Index, an index which occasionally curates a list of the world’s most travel-friendly passports, Nigeria’s passport was ranked 95/107 in the world and 10th weakest in Africa.
In the recently published report, the Seychelles passport is the most powerful in Africa and the 32nd most powerful passport in the world, as it avails those who possess it visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to about 151 destinations around the world while that of Nigeria only gives one visa free or visa-on-arrival access to 46 countries.
The list also shows Mauritius sitting in second place. While South Africa, Botswana and Namibia were ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The weakness of the Nigerian passport is not unconnected with the nation’s battle with terrorism, fraud, and other crimes.
In December 2019, Nigeria was added to a United States ‘special watch list’ of countries that had engaged in or tolerated the severe violation of religious freedom.
Boko Haram and eight other terrorist groups were also described as ‘Entities of Particular Concern’.
This in no way puts the nation and those who bear its passport in a good light, hence, the sour ranking.
Top 10 Weakest Passports in Africa, 2020:
| Rank | Country | World Rank | Visa Free Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Nigeria | 95 | 46 |
| 9 | Djibouti | 95 | 46 |
| 8 | South Sudan | 96 | 43 |
| 7 | Ethiopia | 96 | 43 |
| 6 | Eritrea | 98 | 41 |
| 5 | Congo (Dem. Rep.) | 98 | 41 |
| 4 | Kosovo | 99 | 40 |
| 3 | Sudan | 100 | 39 |
| 2 | Libya | 102 | 37 |
| 1 | Somalia | 104 | 32 |
Visa Free Countries for Holders of Nigeria’s Passport
Asia Countries
Cambodia (visa on arrival)
Maldives (visa on arrival)
Timor-Leste (visa on arrival)
African Countries
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cape Verde Islands
Chad
Comores Islands (visa on arrival)
Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Ethiopia (visa on arrival)
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya (visa on arrival)
Liberia
Madagascar (visa on arrival)
Mali
Mauritania (visa on arrival)
Mauritius (visa on arrival)
Mozambique (visa on arrival)
Namibia (visa on arrival)
Niger
Rwanda (visa on arrival)
Senegal
Seychelles (visa on arrival)
Sierra Leone
Somalia (visa on arrival)
Togo
Uganda (visa on arrival)
Oceania Countries
Cook Islands
Fiji
Micronesia
Niue
Palau Islands (visa on arrival)
Samoa (visa on arrival)
Tuvalu (visa on arrival)
Vanuatu
Caribbean
Barbados
Dominica
Haiti
Montserrat
St. Kitts and Nevis
Middle East
Iran (visa on arrival)
Lebanon
Methodology
The Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information, and enhanced by ongoing research by the Henley & Partners Research Department.
