Nigeria is now the 92nd most visa-free country in the world, according to a recent report.
Henley & Partners presented the research on Tuesday. The research is based on unique and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Countries’ rankings are tracked throughout the year, with an emphasis on pertinent visa-policy changes for each nation.
Nigeria was placed 90th on the list in July 2023 but has since dropped to 97th. It was trailing African countries such as Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia. This indicated a major shift in the country’s visa policies.
Nigeria is now ranked 92nd, alongside Lebanon and Myanmar. Both Asian countries enjoy visa-free travel to 45 places.
It also rated sixth on the list of African countries enjoying visa-free travel, ahead of South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia.
Meanwhile, the Seychelles maintained its 24th place as the highest-ranked African country, with access to 156 countries.
Mauritius increased its ranking, going from 29th to 28th place with access to 150 countries. South Africa ranked third in Africa but 47th globally, with access to 106 countries without a prior visa.
Singapore remained first on the global ranking, with France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain in second place.
According to the ranking index, Singaporeans can visit 195 destinations, three more than the previous year.
Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden are in third place, with visa-free access to 191 destinations. They are followed by Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, which have access to 190 destinations without a visa.
Canada joins the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Malta in seventh place, while the United States ranks eighth with visa-free entry to 186 destinations.
Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the table, with a visa-free access score of only 26 countries, followed by Syria with 28 and Iraq with 31—the world’s three worst passports.