Nigerian passport moves up to 92nd in the 2026 Henley Passport Index

Nigeria's passport has moved up to 92nd place in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, improving on its 94th position in 2025. The gain means Nigerian passport holders can now reach 45 destinations without arranging a visa before departure, one more than a year earlier.

Key facts

• Nigeria now ranks 92nd in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, up from 94th in 2025
• Nigerian passport holders can visit 45 destinations without a visa in advance, compared with 44 in 2025
• The index counts destinations reachable without getting a visa before departure
• It uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Liberia is among the listed destinations

Which destinations can Nigerians visit without a visa in advance?

The report lists the following places as reachable without obtaining a visa before departure:

• Barbados, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Chad, Comoros, Cook Islands
• Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Kenya
• Kiribati, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Montserrat
• Mozambique, Niger, Niue, Palau Islands, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, St Kitts and Nevis
• The Gambia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

How has Nigeria's ranking changed over the years?

Nigeria's position has shifted repeatedly. It stood at 62nd in 2006, fell to 76th in 2010 and 87th in 2012, then recovered to 78th in 2013 before dropping to 95th in 2015.

The country ranked 94th in 2018, 95th in 2019 and 94th in 2020. It slid to 103rd in 2021, then improved to 98th in 2022, 97th in 2023 and 95th in 2024, before reaching 94th in 2025 and 92nd in 2026.

What does the ranking mean for Nigerian travellers?

The change is a modest widening of travel access: the count of destinations reachable without a visa obtained in advance has risen by one. The index does not by itself grant entry, so travellers should check the entry requirements of their destination before making plans.

Some of the listed countries may require a visa on arrival or an electronic travel authorisation instead of a pre-arranged visa, and conditions can apply to passport validity, supporting documents and permitted length of stay. The ranking also does not allow holders to work, study or live permanently in those countries; those activities may need separate visas or permits.

No further changes to Nigerian passport rules have been announced in the report.