The Nigerian passport experienced a minor setback in global mobility after slipping to 90th position in the latest 2026 update of the Henley Passport Index ranking.
Despite recent digitization efforts and diplomatic initiatives aimed at strengthening the country’s international standing, the Nigerian passport dropped one spot from its 89th ranking earlier in April 2026.
Meanwhile, Nigerian passport holders can still travel to 44 destinations without obtaining a visa before departure.
This was made known in the July 2026 global ranking, released by Henley & Partners.
The July 2026 ranking gave the Nigerian passport a visa-free score of 44.
This means that citizens can access 44 destinations through visa-free entry, visa on arrival or an electronic visa (e-visa), depending on the destination’s entry requirements.
The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa, using data from the International Air Transport Association.
Nigeria ranked 90th globally, down one place from the 89th position it occupied in the April 2026 edition of the index, although its visa-free score remained unchanged.
Nigeria has also improved from the 94th and 103rd positions it was in 2025 and 2021, respectively.
Below are the 44 destinations Nigerian passport holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance:
- Barbados
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi (visa on arrival)
- Cambodia (visa on arrival)
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde Islands
- Chad
- Comoro Islands (visa on arrival)
- Cook Islands
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Iran (visa on arrival)
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Madagascar (visa on arrival)
- Maldives (visa on arrival)
- Mali
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Niger
- Niue (visa on arrival)
- Palau Islands (visa on arrival)
- Rwanda
- Samoa (visa on arrival)
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- The Gambia
- Timor-Leste (visa on arrival)
- Togo
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
While these destinations do not require Nigerians to obtain a visa before travelling, entry conditions vary.
Some countries grant visa-free entry, while others issue visas on arrival or require travellers to obtain an e-visa before departure.
Travellers are advised to confirm the latest immigration requirements with the relevant authorities before making travel plans.
