Despite continuous efforts by the Federal Government to reform Nigeria’s travel document, the country finds itself in the 10th position for the least powerful passports globally, according to a recent report by Henley & Partners.
The study, released this week, places Nigeria alongside Sudan, Lebanon, and Iran at the bottom of the list, highlighting the challenges faced by citizens when it comes to global travel. The nations sharing this position include Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Palestinian Territory, Nepal, Libya, North Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Eritrea.
In contrast, a select group of European and Asian countries dominates the top spots in the global passport ranking, showcasing the significant disparity in travel privileges, often referred to as “passport privilege.”
Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, emphasized that despite an overall trend towards increased travel freedoms in the past 19 years, the gap in mobility between top and bottom-ranking countries has widened considerably.
“Since 2006, the average number of destinations travellers can access without needing a visa has nearly doubled,” stated Kaelin.
The report reveals that the passports ranked highest can grant visa-free access to 194 countries, a stark contrast to the lowest-ranked passport from Afghanistan, which provides access to only 28 countries. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association.
Leading the list of the 10 most powerful passports are countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Singapore. Finland, South Korea, and Sweden secured the second position, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands occupy the third spot.
Other notable rankings include Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom in the fourth position, Greece, Malta, and Switzerland in the fifth, and Australia, Czechia, New Zealand, and Poland in the sixth. Canada, Hungary, and the United States hold the seventh position, followed by Estonia and Lithuania in the eighth, and Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia in the ninth. Iceland rounds out the top 10 in the list of the world’s most powerful passports.
