The Nigerian passport has rallied back in the latest global passport ranking, moving to 91st out of 199 countries on the list.

This is according to the Henley Passport Index, which is updated monthly based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA).

The latest ranking puts Nigeria level with Ethiopia and Myanmar; the latter two have been embroiled in incursions from armed groups, according to the Henley Passport Index for 2025.

While the ranking has offered a slight facelift to Nigeria's global image, travel access for citizens remains a challenge, with the West African giants retaining visa-free access to only 45 nations.

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Despite the slight upward movement, the Nigerian passport only ranked above six countries in Africa, which include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Libya, Sudan, and Somalia.

The ranking makes the Nigerian passport the seventh least desirable travel document from Africa, having occupied the sixth position in 2024.

In 2023, Nigeria sank from the 90th spot on the global passport list to the 97th position below African countries like Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia, showing a significant shift in the nation’s visa policy.

The travel document staged a comeback in 2024, climbing to the 92nd spot.

Seychelles retained its spot among African countries with an improved ranking of 22, moving two spots higher than the previous year. It now has access to an increased 156 countries.

Nigeria begins effort to clean up its image

This development comes amid efforts by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, to improve Nigeria's image abroad.

Tugar, who spoke at the ministerial press briefing held in Abuja on Thursday, March 20, 2025, said the ministry had succeeded in redeeming Nigeria’s image.

“The next stage is to exalt and glorify Nigeria’s image,” the minister said, while highlighting how the ministry negotiated the release of wrongfully imprisoned Nigerians in unnamed countries.

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He also noted that Nigeria was committed to applying ethical considerations in implementing its foreign policy while liaising with other nations, although he was silent on how the ministry would achieve this goal.