BETWEEN 2014 and 2024, the value of Nigeria’s passport significantly declined by 13 points, new data from the Henley Passport Index shows.
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
The recent report highlighted the changes experienced in several countries over the past decade. In 2014, Nigeria was ranked 79th on the Henley Passport Index, while in 2024, the country has slipped to 92nd position.
The decline indicates that Nigerian passport holders now have fewer visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel options, with only 45 countries accessible without a visa or with visa-on-arrival arrangements.
The implications for Nigerian travellers mean that there would be increased visa requirements, which can affect business travel, tourism, and even family visits and limit the opportunities for Nigerians to engage internationally.
Some destinations Nigerians can still travel to without a visa include Ghana, Benin, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Maldives (visa on arrival), Niger and Togo.
Just like Nigeria, the ranking also showed that countries like Venezuela, Yemen, Syria, Bangladesh and Senegal’s passports ranking also fell in the last decade.
Venezuela ranked 25th in 2014 and dropped to 42nd in 2024 with access to 124 countries.
For Yemen, its passport, ranked 85th in 2014, plummeted and now stands at the 100th position with access to 33 countries.
Also, Syria’s ranking fell from 89th in 2014 to 102nd in 2024 with access to 28 countries. This might be connected to the ongoing civil war which had led to increased travel restrictions for its residents.
Bangladesh moved from the 86th position in 2014 to 97th in 2024 with access to 40 countries, while Senegal’s passport ranking has dropped from 71st in 2014 to 82nd in 2024 with access to 58 countries.
Meanwhile, at the top of the list is Singapore, with its citizens enjoying access to 195 travel destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free. It is followed by France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
Recall that Nigerians have had several confrontations with countries like Seychelles and the United Arab Emirates on visa bans.
The ICIR reported how Nigerians abroad are exposed to difficult, inconsistent passport application process.
Kehinde Ogunyale tells stories by using data to hold power into account. You can send him a mail at [email protected] (jameskennyogunyale@gmail) or Twitter: Prof_KennyJames