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     Six countries now share the title of the world's most powerful passports, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, with the Nigerian passport ranked 98th in the world. Nigeria fell from the 97th spot it occupied in 2023. The passports of several of Nigeria’s West African neighbours, such as Ghana (76th), Benin (81st), Togo (85th),… 

Six countries now share the title of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, with the Nigerian passport ranked 98th in the world.

Nigeria fell from the 97th spot it occupied in 2023. The passports of several of Nigeria’s West African neighbours, such as Ghana (76th), Benin (81st),  Togo (85th), Guinea (85th), Senegal (86th), Niger (87th), Guinea Bissau (88th), and Liberia (93rd), have better rankings. The best ranking for the country was 62nd position achieved in 2006. Its worst ranking in recent decades was the 103rd spot it scored in 2021.

Citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain can now travel to a record-breaking 194 destinations around the world without a prior visa. The Henley Passport Index, a well-respected ranking based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), analyses how many destinations a passport holder can access visa-free.  

Following the leading six are South Korea, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, which are tied for second place with visa-free access to 193 destinations. The United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and Luxembourg sit in third place, with their citizens able to visit 192 countries visa-free.

Australia sits in fifth place with access to 190 destinations, followed by Canada, Czechia, Poland and the United States, which share sixth place with visa-free entry to 189 countries.</p>

The ranking also sheds light on countries with limited visa-free travel options. India finds itself in 82nd place, with access to only 62 destinations.

Several African nations, including Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, Tajikistan, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Mauritania, all fall within the bottom rungs of the index, with visa-free access to 61 or 60 destinations.

Nigeria falls at 98th with access to 45 destinations, while Syria and Afghanistan rank even lower at 108th and 109th, respectively, with visa-free access to just 29 and 28 destinations, respectively.