Nigerian Passport Remains Among World’s Least Powerful, Ranks 191st Globally

The Nigerian passport has been ranked among the ten least powerful in the world, according to the latest VisaGuide World Passport Index.

The Nigerian passport, positioned at 191 out of 199 countries, shares the bottom rankings with nations like North Korea (192nd), Iraq (193rd), Syria (198th), and Somalia (199th), among others.

This ranking, determined by the Destination Significance Score (DSS), assesses passports based on several factors, including visa requirements, the country’s GDP, the Power Index, the Tourism Index, and the Human Development Index.

VisaGuide explained in its report that its methodology involves assigning a unique value to each destination a passport holder can enter based on their comprehensive DSS. The report said that the scores consider the destination’s entry policies and economic and social indices, thus providing a precise ranking.

While Singapore claims the top spot as the most powerful passport, European nations like Italy (2nd) and Spain (3rd) follow closely behind.

On the other hand, Nigerian passport holders face significant travel restrictions with visa-free access to only 45 countries. In contrast, South Africa ranked 53rd globally, offers its citizens visa-free access to 108 countries. Other African countries such as Ghana (76th), Benin Republic (79th), and Niger (85th) also boast better rankings than Nigeria.

The VisaGuide report aligns with the Henley Passport Index, which listed the Nigerian passport among the bottom ten earlier this year. This reflects the ongoing issues that limit Nigerians’ travel possibilities.

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Emmanuel Ejiofor

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