The Nigerian govt has no longer spoke back to the request by way of LEADERSHIP to answer a anxious document that the rustic has misplaced get entry to to twenty visa-free locations, with the rustic’s passport rating falling from ninetieth place in July 2026 to 181st in the newest IziVisa Passport Rating Index.
LEADERSHIP reported on Tuesday that knowledge revealed on IziVisa.com display that Nigerian passport holders can trip to 24 international locations with out a visa, download visas on arrival in 16 international locations, and get entry to 43 international locations thru digital visas.
The newest figures constitute a decline from the 44 locations Nigerians may consult with with out a visa in July 2026, highlighting decreased trip get entry to for holders of the rustic’s passport.
In a commentary on its web site, IziVisa defined that passports are ranked by way of the choice of locations their holders can get entry to with out acquiring a visa prematurely.
On the time of submitting this up to date document, the Spokesman of the Ministry of International Affairs, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, had but to answer our request referring to this building, in spite of calls and messages despatched to him.
Alternatively, a international affairs analyst, who most well-liked anonymity, bemoaned the location, stressing that “this is a unhappy state of affairs for the rustic, which demonstrates how low the rustic has sunk some of the comity of countries” whilst he challenged the Nigerian govt to, as a question of urgency, try to take away the rustic from this unlucky trail.
The LEADERSHIP preliminary document famous that the index considers other classes of trip get entry to, together with visa-free access, visas on arrival and digital visas, to evaluate the world mobility to be had to passport holders.
The United Arab Emirates leads the 2026 IziVisa rating, with its passport offering get entry to to 185 of 198 documented locations thru visa-free access, visas on arrival or digital visas.
Switzerland occupies 2d place, with get entry to to 120 locations with out a visa, 26 locations providing visas on arrival and 37 out there thru digital visas.
Different international locations that includes prominently within the rating come with Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland.
IziVisa stated the diversities between passports on the most sensible and backside of its rating illustrate disparities in get entry to to world trip. The index makes use of the choice of locations out there with out a prior visa as a measure of freedom of motion.
One at a time, the July 2026 version of the Henley Passport Index positioned Nigeria ninetieth out of 199 passports assessed international, with a visa-free ranking of 44 locations.
The rating, launched by way of Henley & Companions, represented a one-place decline from Nigeria’s 89th place within the April 2026 version, despite the fact that its visa-free ranking remained unchanged at 44 locations.
In step with Henley & Companions, the index marked the organisation’s twentieth anniversary and assessed 199 passports towards 227 trip locations the usage of knowledge from the Global Air Shipping Affiliation.
Amongst African international locations, South Africa ranked forty ninth globally, with visa-free get entry to to 101 locations. Botswana adopted in 61st place, with get entry to to 81 locations, whilst Morocco ranked 67th with 71 locations.
Kenya occupied 68th place, with get entry to to 70 locations, whilst Ghana ranked seventieth with a visa-free ranking of 67.
Nigeria ranked along the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan within the Henley Passport Index, with every passport providing visa-free get entry to to 44 locations.
Alternatively, the reported IziVisa rating will have to no longer be handled as at once similar to the Henley Passport Index, as the 2 ratings use other methodologies and vacation spot protection.
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