Nigeria has been ranked the 45th strongest passport in Africa and 90th in the world in the July 2026 global passport ranking released by Henley & Partners on Tuesday, with Nigerian passport holders enjoying visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 44 destinations.
The latest ranking places Nigeria among the continent’s weakest passports, tying with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 90th place globally. Only a handful of African countries rank below Nigeria on the index.
South Africa retained its position as Africa’s most powerful passport, climbing to 49th globally with visa-free access to 101 destinations, making it the only African country to provide access to more than 100 countries without requiring a prior visa.
Botswana ranked second in Africa and 61st globally with access to 81 destinations, followed by Namibia in third place on the continent and 65th worldwide with access to 74 countries.
Lesotho occupies fourth place in Africa, ranking 66th globally with access to 73 destinations, while Eswatini and Morocco share fifth place on the continent and 67th globally with visa-free access to 71 countries.
