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The latest Henley Passport Index has ranked Nigeria’s passport 94th out of 199 countries, underscoring the country’s persistent challenges in global mobility.
The ranking released yesterday shows that holders of Nigerian passports can access just 46 destinations around the globe without a visa.
Global mobility is an important measure of soft power for a nation’s citizens when they go abroad. Nigeria’s poor ranking among the most powerful passports has continued to hinder the travel aspirations of many Nigerians and reflects limited visa-free travel opportunities.
The ranking puts Nigeria in equal standing with countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Ethiopia, which also grant their citizens access to 46 destinations without prior visa..
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.
The Henley Passport Power (HPP) score assesses the 199 countries included on the Henley Passport Index according to the percentage share of global GDP to which their passport holders have visa-free access, by taking into account their visa-free/visa-on-arrival scores out of possible 227.
Global Leaders in Passport Power
While Nigeria grapples with restricted mobility, Singapore occupied the top spot in the world’s most powerful passport, granting its citizens visa-free access to 195 destinations, followed by Japan with 193 destinations.
European nations like France, Germany, Finland, Spain and Italy, including South Korea jointly hold the third position with 192 destinations.
Afghanistan remains the lowest-ranked passport, offering its holders minimal travel freedom.
Disparities in Global Mobility
The Henley Passport Index report also highlighted growing disparities in global mobility, with nations such as the United Arab Emirates climbing the ranks through robust diplomatic engagements.
“The gap between powerful and weak passports is widening, and countries like Nigeria must address this issue to enhance their citizens’ travel opportunities,” the report noted.
DR. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of international investment migration advisory firm, Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, said: “The very notion of citizenship and its birthright lottery needs a fundamental rethink as temperatures rise, natural disasters become more frequent and severe, displacing communities and rendering their environments uninhabitable.
“Simultaneously, political instability and armed conflicts in various regions force countless people to flee their homes in search of safety and refuge. The need to introduce free global cities to harness the untapped potential of displaced people and other migrants, transforming them from victims of circumstance into architects of their futures has never been more pressing or apparent”.
