The latest ranking, released on Tuesday by Henley & Partners, places the Nigerian passport 90th out of 199 passports assessed worldwide. Despite the drop from its previous 89th position in the April 2026 edition, Nigerian passport holders can still travel to 44 destinations without obtaining a visa before departure.
The ranking reflects a marginal setback for Africa's most populous nation, although its visa-free access score remained unchanged. The country's passport now ranks alongside those of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan, with all three offering access to 44 destinations without a prior visa.
In a statement published on its website, Henley & Partners explained that the index, now marking its 20th anniversary, evaluates passports according to the number of destinations their holders can enter without securing a visa in advance.
The firm stated, "The index, released on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa."
Henley & Partners also noted that the rankings cover 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, using exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), making the index one of the most widely referenced global measures of travel freedom.
Within Africa, South Africa maintained its position as the continent's strongest passport, ranking 49th globally with visa-free access to 101 destinations. Botswana followed in 61st place, granting its citizens access to 81 destinations without prior visas.
Morocco ranked 67th with access to 71 destinations, while Kenya occupied the 68th position with 70 destinations. Ghana was placed 70th globally, with its passport providing visa-free entry to 67 destinations.
On the global stage, Singapore retained its position as the world's most powerful passport, allowing holders visa-free access to 192 destinations. Japan secured second place with 188 destinations, while South Korea and the United Arab Emirates shared third position with access to 187 destinations each.
The United States ranked 10th globally, with its passport providing visa-free access to 180 destinations.
At the opposite end of the table, Afghanistan remained the world's weakest passport, offering visa-free access to only 22 destinations. Syria ranked 103rd with access to 25 destinations, while Iraq placed 102nd with 28 destinations.
Although Nigeria slipped one place in the latest edition, the country had made notable progress over the past two years. Between January 2024 and April 2026, Nigeria climbed six places on the Henley Passport Index, moving from 95th to 89th, despite its visa-free access declining from 45 to 44 destinations.
According to Henley's April 2026 report, Nigeria lost visa-free access to countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Somalia in recent years. However, the report also noted that Nigerian passport holders gained access to several Pacific island destinations, partially offsetting those losses.