Nigeria’s passport ranking has fallen sharply in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, dropping to 181st out of 196 countries from 90th position in mid-2026.
The index shows that the number of destinations Nigerians can visit without a visa fell from 44 in July 2026 to just 24. This means passport holders have lost easy access to about 20 destinations.
Several countries popular with Nigerian travellers are now listed among destinations requiring visas, stricter visa-on-arrival conditions or electronic travel processes.
They include Burundi, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Cambodia, Iran, Lebanon, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Niue and Tuvalu. Seychelles requires a visitor’s permit on arrival, while Niue requires an entry permit on arrival.
Other destinations require electronic travel authorisations or special clearance. They include Kenya, which requires an electronic travel authorisation, Suriname, which requires an entry fee or e-visa clearance, Kiribati and Cook Islands.
Under the new ranking, Nigerians can still travel to 24 countries without visas, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries and access 43 destinations through e-visas.
However, the more widely recognised Henley Passport Index ranks Nigeria much higher, placing it around 90th to 92nd, with access to about 44 to 45 destinations.
The two indexes use different methods, meaning their figures cannot be directly compared.
Still, the latest IziVisa figures point to tighter travel restrictions and reduced mobility for Nigerian passport holders.
