Nigerian passport gains two spots, ranks 94th in global power index

The Nigerian passport has gained two spots in the world’s most powerful passports ranking, now holding the 94th place from 96th held in 2023.

This update was revealed by the Henley Passport Index, which evaluates the strength of each nation’s passport and the number of places its holders can visit without a previous visa.

The report was based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the index includes 199 different passports, and 227 different travel destinations.

Nigeria shares the 94th seat with Middle Eastern country, Lebanon, and travellers with a Nigerian passport can gain entry into 45 countries without a visa.

Singapore has the top spot and its citizens can visit 195 of the 227 countries in the globe without a visa. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain ranked second while Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden are tied in third place.

The latest index also revealed that the United States of America is now ranked eighth on the list, while the United Kingdom (UK) is tied in fourth place with Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.

Recall that in 2014, the United States and the United Kingdom shared first place.

Afghanistan’s passport is still the worst in the world, allowing entry to just 26 countries without a visa. Formerly, the Afghans could access 27 destinations visa-free in 2023.

Unfortunately, Nigeria holds one of the weakest passports on the continent. The situation, according to experts, subject citizens to difficulties in obtaining visas, incurs higher travel costs, and processing delays.

The economy is also impacted as it lowers the number of visiting foreigners and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Aviation analyst and Director of Research at Zenith travels, Olumide Ohunayo, said that a country that has a mobile and large population would always be under the list of weakest passports.

“India is a country with the same problem as Nigeria, but they have been able to develop the economy, and while inbound tourism is not so strong, their outbound tourism is big.”

He also said that abusing outbound tourism could make their passport weak “and your passport can only become weak, when your citizens show the tendency of not returning home after a visit.”

Ohunayo added that if citizens oblige to the visa rules and regulations, “your passport will not be weak but once you begin to abuse the visa rules, then that makes your passport weak. And what makes people abuse visa rules and regulations, is because of the state of the economy and security in their country.

“We need to develop our economy, ensure security, do the things that will make Nigerians stay, work, and be happy that they are Nigerians. You can’t just change the national anthem or change the pledge and expect a turnover, well, it goes beyond that. There must be security, there must be safety, and there must be economy.”

CEO of Keras travel and tours, Abisoye Abati, told The Guardian that most people who patronise travel agents, particularly this year, “are more of people who intend to relocate to another country because of the present situation of our country”.

Senior Travel/Education Consultant, Golden Okoye also confirmed the situation. According to the CEO of Dinspira Travel Nig.LTD, “there has been a rise in clients that initially had no plans to leave Nigeria contacting us to make an inquiry and ask for ways to relocate out of Nigeria.”

Aviation expert and Head of School Lagos Aviation Academy, Bolaji Durojaiye, said that the implication of Nigeria being one of the few countries with the weakest passport is restricted travel options.

Durojaiye said that Nigerian citizens face limitations on where they can travel without a visa or with limited visa free access.

According to him: “This can restrict opportunities for tourism, business travel, and education abroad. Weaker passports can restrict individuals from easily moving to other countries for work or for residence, potentially limiting their career and also personal growth opportunities.”

On perception of economic and political status, Durojaiye said that a weak passport can reflect negatively on Nigeria’s economic and political standing in the international community and that it signifies issues such as political instability, security concerns, and even economic challenges.

“Higher visa cost and restrictions as well, may also come up based on having a weak passport, citizens with weak passports may have to pay higher visa fees, probably go through more rigorous application processes or face more restrictions when travelling to certain countries. When you have limited travel opportunities, this can impact an individual’s quality of life by restricting their ability to explore new cultures, access better health care, or education options or simply enjoy leisure travel,” he said.