By Suara Sherif
Nigeria’s passport has suffered a dramatic slide, falling from 90th position in July 2026 to 181st out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, a collapse in global mobility that leaves holders with access to just 24 visa-free destinations.
Straight from IziVisa’s published data: Nigerian passport holders can now travel visa-free to only 24 countries, obtain visas on arrival in 16, and reach 43 more through electronic visas.
The drop is stark. In July 2026, the passport carried a visa-free score of 44 destinations; that figure has now nearly halved.
According to IziVisa, passports are ranked by the number of destinations holders can reach without prior visa approval, covering visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas.
The United Arab Emirates leads the 2026 ranking, its passport unlocking 185 of 198 documented destinations. Switzerland is second, with 120 visa-free, 26 visa-on-arrival and 37 e-visa destinations. Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland also feature near the top, underscoring the gulf between the world’s most and least mobile passports.
The result contrasts sharply with the July 2026 Henley Passport Index, which placed Nigeria 90th of 199 passports with a visa-free score of 44. The two indices use different methodologies and coverage, so their rankings are not directly equivalent.
Among African peers, South Africa ranked 49th globally with 101 visa-free destinations, Botswana 61st with 81, Morocco 67th with 71, Kenya 68th with 70 and Ghana 70th with 67. In the Henley index, Nigeria tied with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan at 44 destinations.
