The Nigerian Passport Ranking has dropped 38 places in the global rankings.
In the past 17 years, the Nigerian passport has fallen 38 places in a global ranking of passports.
This is according to Henley Passport Index reports from 2006 to 2022.
The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of countries to which their holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
Despite the addition of 11 new destinations, the Nigerian passport fell from 62nd in 2006 to 100th in 2022.
This demonstrates a consistent decline in strength across the 199 countries and 227 travel destinations studied.
While the green passport now grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 46 countries, up from 35 in 2006, Nigerians are still unable to visit over 181 destinations without a visa, visa-on-arrival, or e-visa arrangement.
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Nigerian Passport Ranking and Free visa entry
Travelers with Nigerian passports can only enter 25 countries visa-free as of September 2022.
When visa-on-arrival or e-visa programmes are included in the mix, that number rises to at least 46.
Countries offering visa-free, visa-on-arrival and e-visa access to Nigerians as of the time of this report include: Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cabo Verde, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique , Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Fiji, Micronesia, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are among the others.
A drop or improvement in ranking is the result of several factors, according to the Henley Passport Index, which is based on data from the International Air Transport Association.
They include the country’s efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations with other countries, as well as its efforts to modernise visa processes and improve border security.
What Experts say about Nigerian Passport Ranking
However, experts argue that the green document’s strength merely reflects Nigeria’s internal challenges.
In an earlier interview with our correspondent, Charles Onunaiju, Research Director, Centre for China Studies, Abuja, argued that the meagre visa-free access Nigerians have globally reflects the country’s internal problems under the current government.
“We have a challenge,” he said. Because Nigeria is becoming inhospitable, especially for young people with few options, there is a desperate desire to travel abroad.
“Almost all embassies are now imposing regulations on Nigerians that they do not impose on other nationals. That is abundantly clear. People believe that almost every Nigerian wishes to leave the country. That is partly true because the country has squandered its potential. Our leaders have not fully utilised the vast human resources at our disposal.
“If we want to earn respect from others, we must start at home. If we want the rest of the world to take us seriously, we need to get our act together.”
However, Nigeria’s passport issuing agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service, disagreed.
It stated that visa-free travel is largely a result of bilateral agreements between countries and regional blocs.
Nigerian Passport Ranking falls by 38 places: The ranking process
“This ranking is based on passport admissibility,” said NIS spokesperson Amos Okpu, who previously discussed the issue with our correspondent. And this is largely due to mutual understanding and reciprocity between countries, which does not always reflect the true strength of a passport. The European Union and ECOWAS are two good examples.
“While we appreciate Henley & Partners’ efforts, we are more concerned with deepening our passport technology to meet ICAO standards; ensuring that our passport complies with ICAO guidelines.”
Okpu argued that Nigeria has been a public Key Directory of the ICAO since April 2009, and thus holds a respectable position in the international community.
The Public Key Directory serves as a central repository for exchanging the information needed to authenticate electronic Machine-Readable Travel Documents (e-Passports, electronic ID cards, and Visible Digital Seals).
“What we put more emphasis on here is our standing in the ICAO,” Okpu said, reiterating the NIS’ position. When ICAO notifies us of any passport lapses, we get to work. Nigeria has been a member of the Public Key Directory since 2009, but it took us several years to comply with several passport security specifications.
