The 2026 Henley Passport Index has placed Nigeria 45th among African nations and 90th globally, offering its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 44 destinations. This ranking cements the Nigerian passport as one of the weakest travel documents on the continent, tied with the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the 90th global position.
South Africa Retains Top Spot in Africa
South Africa once again holds the title of Africa's strongest passport, ranked 49th globally with access to 101 destinations without a prior visa. It remains the only African passport to cross the 100-destination threshold, underscoring a significant mobility gap within the continent.
Botswana follows as the second strongest African passport, ranked 61st globally with 81 destinations. Namibia (65th global, 74 destinations), Lesotho (66th global, 73 destinations), and Eswatini (67th global, 71 destinations) complete the top five. Morocco ties with Eswatini at 67th globally, also offering 71 visa-free destinations.
Global Leaders: Singapore, Japan, South Korea
Globally, Singapore remains the most powerful passport, granting access to 192 destinations without a visa. Japan ranks second with 188 destinations, while South Korea and the United Arab Emirates jointly hold third place with 187 destinations each.
The Henley Passport Index bases its rankings on the number of destinations that passport holders can enter without a visa in advance, including visa-on-arrival and electronic travel authorization facilities.
Full Ranking of African Passports in 2026
Below is the complete list of African countries ranked by passport strength according to the July 2026 Henley Passport Index:
- South Africa – Global rank 49, 101 destinations
- Botswana – Global rank 61, 81 destinations
- Namibia – Global rank 65, 74 destinations
- Lesotho – Global rank 66, 73 destinations
- Eswatini – Global rank 67, 71 destinations
- Morocco – Global rank 67, 71 destinations
- Kenya – Global rank 68, 70 destinations
- Malawi – Global rank 68, 70 destinations
- Rwanda – Global rank 69, 68 destinations
- Tanzania – Global rank 69, 68 destinations
- The Gambia – Global rank 69, 68 destinations
- Ghana – Global rank 70, 67 destinations
- Tunisia – Global rank 71, 66 destinations
- Benin – Global rank 72, 65 destinations
- Uganda – Global rank 72, 65 destinations
- Cape Verde – Global rank 73, 64 destinations
- Zambia – Global rank 73, 64 destinations
- Sierra Leone – Global rank 74, 63 destinations
- Zimbabwe – Global rank 75, 61 destinations
- Mozambique – Global rank 76, 60 destinations
- São Tomé and Príncipe – Global rank 77, 59 destinations
- Burkina Faso – Global rank 79, 57 destinations
- Togo – Global rank 79, 57 destinations
- Côte d'Ivoire – Global rank 80, 56 destinations
- Gabon – Global rank 80, 56 destinations
- Madagascar – Global rank 80, 56 destinations
- Senegal – Global rank 80, 56 destinations
- Algeria – Global rank 81, 55 destinations
- Mauritania – Global rank 81, 55 destinations
- Equatorial Guinea – Global rank 82, 54 destinations
- Niger – Global rank 82, 54 destinations
- Guinea – Global rank 83, 53 destinations
- Mali – Global rank 83, 53 destinations
- Chad – Global rank 85, 51 destinations
- Comoros – Global rank 85, 51 destinations
- Guinea-Bissau – Global rank 85, 51 destinations
- Angola – Global rank 86, 49 destinations
- Egypt – Global rank 86, 49 destinations
- Liberia – Global rank 86, 49 destinations
- Burundi – Global rank 87, 48 destinations
- Cameroon – Global rank 87, 48 destinations
- Central African Republic – Global rank 87, 48 destinations
- Republic of the Congo – Global rank 88, 45 destinations
- Djibouti – Global rank 89, 45 destinations
- Nigeria – Global rank 90, 44 destinations
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – Global rank 90, 44 destinations
Context: NIN Enrollment Reaches 127 Million
In related news, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) reported that the number of Nigerians enrolled in the National Identification Number (NIN) database reached 127 million as of December 2025. As of October 31, 2025, total NIN enrollment stood at 123.9 million, with Lagos State recording the highest number of registered individuals at over 13 million. Gender data showed that as of October 2025, over 54.2 million females and about 69.7 million males had been captured in the national identity database.
