Nigeria’s passport has reportedly fallen to 181st place out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, amid a sharp decline in the number of destinations Nigerian travellers can visit without a visa.
According to the index, Nigeria’s visa-free access dropped from 44 destinations in July 2026 to just 24, meaning passport holders have reportedly lost easy access to about 20 destinations.
Among the countries listed as introducing visa requirements or stricter entry conditions for Nigerians are Burundi, the Comoros, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Cambodia, Iran, Lebanon, the Maldives and Timor-Leste.
Other destinations, including Niue and Tuvalu, were also mentioned as having specific entry requirements.
The report further identified countries requiring electronic travel authorisation or additional clearance, including Kenya, Suriname, Kiribati and the Cook Islands.
Under the reported ranking, Nigerian passport holders can still travel to 24 destinations visa-free, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries and access 43 destinations through electronic visas.
However, the more widely recognised Henley Passport Index continues to place Nigeria considerably higher, around 90th to 92nd position, with access to approximately 44 to 45 destinations.
The discrepancy reflects differences in the methodologies used by the two indexes, meaning their rankings and destination counts are not directly comparable.
Nevertheless, the reported IziVisa figures have drawn attention to the travel restrictions and entry requirements facing Nigerian passport holders.
