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50 most powerful African passports in 2025: See where Nigeria ranks

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TheRadar compiled the top 50 most powerful passports in Africa for 2025.Nigeria's passport ranked 94th globally and 49th in Africa, according to the latest Henley Passport Index | Photo Credit: Face2Face Africa
  • Nigeria’s passport ranked 94th globally, and 49th in Africa, reflecting weak and limited visa-free access for citizens
  • Seychelles took the lead as Africa’s strongest passport, with access to 156 destinations visa-free
  • South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia hold the lowest rankings in Africa’s passport strength

According to the latest Passport Index for 2025, Seychelles and Mauritius held the top spots for Africa’s most powerful passports, with Nigeria placed far lower on the global scale, ranking 94th globally and 49th in Africa. 

The ranking, compiled by British consultancy Henley & Partners, assessed the strength of passports based on visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to destinations around the world. 

The data for the index was sourced from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represented over 250 global airlines.

The index evaluated 199 passports, taking into account not only countries where holders can travel visa-free but also those offering options like visas on arrival, electronic travel authorizations (ETAs), or visitor permits.

The Seychelles held the most powerful passport for international travel, and it ranked 25th globally with access to 156 destinations without a prior visa. Mauritius ranked second on the continent, sitting at 29th globally with 151 visa-free destinations.

The weakest African passports included those of South Sudan (50th in Africa, 96th globally), Sudan (51st in Africa, 97th), Eritrea (52nd in Africa, 98th), Libya (53rd in Africa, 100th), and Somalia (54th in Africa, 102nd).

TheRadar compiled the top 50 Africa’s most powerful passports for 2025 according to Henley & Partners below:

Africa’s most powerful passport in 2025

1. Seychelles, 1st in Africa, 25th globally, access to 156 destinations

2. Mauritius, 2nd in Africa, 29th globally, 151 destinations

3. South Africa, 3rd in Africa, 48th globally, 106 destinations

4. Botswana, 4th in Africa, 57th, 88 destinations

5. Namibia, 5th in Africa, 62nd, 81 destinations

6. Lesotho, 6th in Africa, 64th, 79 destinations

7. Eswatini, 7th in Africa, 65th, 77 destinations

8. Malawi, 8th in Africa, 67th, 75 destinations

9. Kenya, 9th in Africa, 68th, 74 destinations

10. Morocco, 10th in Africa, 69th, 73 destinations

11. Tanzania, 11th in Africa, 69th, 73 destinations

12. Gambia, 12th in Africa, 71st, 71 destinations

13. Uganda, 13th in Africa, 72nd, 70 destinations

14. Zambia, 14th in Africa, 72nd, 70 destinations

15. Tunisia, 15th in Africa, 73rd, 69 destinations

16. Benin, 16th in Africa, 74th, 68 destinations

17. Cape Verde, 17th in Africa, 74th, 68 destinations

18. Ghana, 18th in Africa, 74th, 68 destinations

19. Rwanda, 19th in Africa, 76th, 66 destinations

20. Sierra Leone, 20th in Africa, 76th, 66 destinations

21. Mozambique, 21st in Africa, 77th, 65 destinations

22. Zimbabwe, 22nd in Africa, 77th, 65 destinations

23. São Tomé and Príncipe, 23rd in Africa, 79th, 63 destinations

24. Togo, 24th in Africa, 81st, 61 destinations

25. Burkina Faso, 25th in Africa, 82nd, 60 destinations

26. Gabon, 26th in Africa, 82nd, 60 destinations

27. Madagascar, 27th in Africa, 82nd, 60 destinations

28. Côte d’Ivoire, 28th in Africa, 83rd, 59 destinations

29. Guinea, 29th in Africa, 83rd, 59 destinations

30. Mauritania, 30th in Africa, 84th, 58 destinations

31. Senegal, 31st in Africa, 84th, 58 destinations

32. Equatorial Guinea, 32nd in Africa, 85th, 57 destinations

33. Niger, 33rd in Africa, 85th, 57 destinations

34. Algeria, 34th in Africa, 86th, 56 destinations

35. Guinea-Bissau, 35th in Africa, 87th, 55 destinations

36. Mali, 36th in Africa, 87th, 55 destinations

37. Comoros, 37th in Africa, 88th, 54 destinations

38. Central African Republic, 38th in Africa, 89th, 53 destinations

39. Chad, 39th in Africa, 89th, 53 destinations

40. Egypt, 40th in Africa, 90th, 52 destinations

41. Liberia, 41st in Africa, 90th, 52 destinations

42. Angola, 42nd in Africa, 91st, 51 destinations

43. Burundi, 43rd in Africa,92nd, 50 destinations

44. Cameroon, 44th in Africa, 92nd, 50 destinations

45. Republic of Congo, 45th in Africa, 92nd, 50 destinations

46. Djibouti, 46th in Africa, 93rd, 49 destinations

47. DR Congo, 47th in Africa, 94th, 46 destinations

48. Ethiopia, 48th in Africa, 94th, 46 destinations

49. Nigeria 49th  in Africa, 94th, 46 destinations

50. South Sudan 50th in Africa, 96th, 44 destinations

“194 countries”: Japan, Germany, other passports that will get you almost anywhere in the world

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that some Nigerians denied the claims of passport discrimination and claimed that the Nigerian passport was one of the strongest. 

TheRadar compiled the top set of countries on the global passport ranking. 

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Halima AdeosunAdmin

Halima Adeosun is a news writer with over 5 years of experience reporting insightful events, and human interest stories.

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