Full list of strongest passports in Africa as Nigeria drops to 45th, 90th globally

What the report says

Vanguard reported that Nigeria placed 45th in Africa and 90th worldwide in the July 2026 Henley Passport Index released by Henley & Partners on Tuesday. According to the report, Nigerian passport holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 44 destinations, and Nigeria shares the 90th global spot with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The ranking leaves Nigeria near the lower end of the African table, with only a small number of countries on the continent listed below it. Vanguard noted that Nigeria had previously moved from 95th to 89th globally between January 2024 and April 2026, even as its access count fell from 45 to 44 destinations. In the latest table, Djibouti is placed 89th globally with access to 45 destinations, while the Republic of the Congo is 88th with the same access figure.

South Africa led Africa, ranking 49th globally with access to 101 destinations, which Vanguard said made it the only African passport in the index to pass the 100-destination mark. Botswana followed at 61st globally with 81 destinations, Namibia ranked 65th with 74, Lesotho stood at 66th with 73, and Eswatini and Morocco shared 67th place with 71 destinations each.

Globally, Vanguard reported that Singapore remained first with access to 192 destinations, ahead of Japan with 188. South Korea and the United Arab Emirates tied for third with 187, while the United States ranked 10th with 180. The Henley Passport Index is commonly used as a mobility benchmark because it compares passports by the number of destinations their holders can enter without obtaining a visa in advance.