Nigerian passport ranks 98th out of 199 countries, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan worst among all

The Nigerian passport has been ranked 98th out of 199 countries, below other African states such as Malawi, Niger, Chad, Zimbabwe, Uganda and The Gambia.

It said although it welcomed the ranking, it is more concerned with the Nigerian passport’s compliance with the global standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

According to details obtained from Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, the passport index published quarterly is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world’s largest database of travel information.

The recently published Q1 2022 index cross-examined the passports of 199 countries with 227 travel destinations; and ranked these passports based on global access and mobility.

Each passport is scored based on the number of destinations that the holder can access visa-free. This also applies if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority upon entry.

Japan and Singapore topped the ranks with passports gaining access to 192 countries. The United States and the United Kingdom ranked seventh while Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan settled at the bottom five.

Despite emerging 28th globally, the Seychellois passport ranked the highest in Africa, having visa-free access to 152 countries. Botswana and Namibia ranked second and third with 86 and 78 countries, respectively.

Malawi (76th), Niger (90th), Chad (90th) The Gambia (75th), Uganda (76th), Zimbabwe (78th) and Sierra Leone (80th) all ranked above Nigeria and Ethiopia, which tallied at 98th. Despite Nigeria’s position on the list, it rose five places compared to the Q4 2021.