Nigeria has moved up three places as its passport is ranked 100th out of 116 countries, but it is still among the least powerful in Africa, the latest 2022 Henley Passport Index shows.
Ghana, Togo, South Africa and 41 other African countries have more powerful passports than Nigeria’s, according to a BusinessDay analysis of the report.
The index published by Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, ranked 199 passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government to its citizens who intend to travel outside the country.
According to the index, Nigeria’s passport only guarantees visa-free access to 46 countries of the world.
Seychelles’ passport is the most powerful in Africa and the 28th in the world. Its passport holders have access to 153 countries without visa payment.
Mauritius’s passport is ranked second in Africa and 33rd globally with access to 146 countries. South Africa is third in Africa and ranked 55th in the world with access to travel to 105 countries. Botswana is ranked fourth in Africa and 65th all over the world with access to 87 countries without paying for a visa.
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Namibia is ranked 76th in the global ranking and fifth in Africa. Its passport carriers have access to 79 countries. Among the top 10 in Africa are Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania.
The other African countries with better passports than Nigeria include Zambia, Tunisia, The Gambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Benin, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Gabon.
Others are Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Equatorial, Guinea, Guinea, Mali, Togo, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Liberia, Congo (Rep.), Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Globally, Japan’s passport is ranked as the most powerful in the world as it allows a holder to enter 193 countries around the world.
The African countries with the least powerful passports are Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
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