Nigeria's Passport Ranking Plummets, Access Declines

Nigeria's passport ranking has significantly declined from 90th position in July 2026 to 181st out of 196 countries as of October 2026, according to data from IziVisa.com. Nigerian passport holders can now access 24 countries visa-free, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries, and use electronic visas for 43 countries.

This is a sharp decrease from the 44 destinations available in July 2026. In the same ranking, Kenya is placed eighth in Africa with access to 60 destinations, while Ghana ranks 16th with 56 destinations.

The disparity in travel access is attributed to various factors, including diplomatic agreements and bilateral relations. Kenya's advantage includes 22 visa-on-arrival destinations compared to Nigeria's 16, while Ghana has six more visa-free destinations than Nigeria.

The rankings reflect the barriers Nigerian citizens face in international travel compared to smaller African nations.