Former envoys lament Nigerian passport poor ranking

As the Nigerian passport continues to decline in global ranking compared to those of neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Benin, former envoys have explained why the situation persists.

According to the Henley Passport Index 2024, which ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa, Ghana is ranked 72nd with 68 visa-free destinations while Benin is ranked 76th with 64 visa-free destinations.

However, Nigeria is ranked 92nd with 45 visa-free destinations.

The latest index places Nigeria significantly lower than Ghana and Benin, which have shown notable improvements in their passport rankings.

The Nigerian passport is ranked as the least powerful among the 15 countries in the Economic Community of West African States.

In 2023, the index showed the Gambia leading the ECOWAS and ranked 72; Sierra Leone at 74th, Cabo Verde at 75th, Ghana at 76th, Benin at 78th, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast at 79th, Guinea at 80th, Senegal and Togo at 81st, Niger at 82nd, Mali and Guinea Bissau at 83rd, Liberia at 87th and Nigeria at 91st.

Reacting to the declining passport rating of Nigeria, the Chief Executive Officer of Henley & Partners, Juerg Steffen, said a fall or improvement in ranking results were from several factors: reciprocity, economic and sociopolitical stability, and tourism.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Saturday According, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said, “Countries like the Benin Republic and Ghana; do their citizens travel abroad to seek asylum?

“Do they indulge in criminal activities such as human and drug trafficking, etc.? If they do, there will be such an equal ranking. The strength of a passport shows the countries you can visit. So, Nigeria has to do a lot of housekeeping.”

Also speaking, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, said, “The Nigerian passport ought to be one of the tops in Africa based on the size of our economy, military, population and so on. Our passport isn’t rated high because Nigerians are not rated high.”