REPORT: Nigerian Passport Becomes Weakest in West Africa

Nigerian Passport

According to a recent Henley Global Passport Index study, the Nigerian passport ranks as the least powerful passport among the 15 member nations that comprise the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The ranking is based on the freedom of movement provided to citizens across international borders. Nigeria is ranked 98th globally, trailing behind the other 14 member countries in the community.

The study reveals that the Nigerian passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 46 locations globally, which is significantly less than the 68 countries that Gambians have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to. This is a stark contrast to Gambia, which leads the ECOWAS region in terms of visa-free travel, followed by Cabo Verde, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Togo, Niger, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, and Nigeria.

Country	Number of visa-free locations within ECOWAS
Gambia	68
Cabo Verde	65
Ghana	64
Sierra Leone	64
Benin	60
Burkina Faso	57
Senegal	56
Ivory Coast	56
Guinea	55
Togo	54
Niger	53
Mali	53
Guinea Bissau	52
Liberia	49
Nigeria	46

While the ECOWAS protocol grants member state citizens freedom of movement within the bloc, access outside the bloc is largely dependent on the individual countries' efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with other nations, as well as their efforts to modernize visa processes and improve border security measures.

According to the study, Nigeria's passport rating has dropped from 62nd in 2006 to 98th in the first quarter of 2023, marking a 36-place drop in the last 18 years. Despite the fact that the Nigerian passport now provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to 46 countries, up from 35 in 2006, Nigerian citizens still require visas, visa-on-arrival, or e-visa arrangements for over 181 international destinations.