Nigeria has one of the least powerful passports in the world, a new ranking showed on Wednesday.
The Passport Index, done by Canada-based global consultancy Arton
Capital, showed Nigerians can travel to 44 countries either without a
visa at all or can have one issued on arrival.
According to the Index, Djibouti and Congo with visa-free to 45
countries; Algeria (46); Liberia, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Burundi
and Cameroon (47) are African countries with a stronger passport than
Nigeria.
Others are Central Africa Republic (48); Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Egypt
(50); Comoros, Gabon, Mali, Madagascar (52); Togo, Niger, Mozambique
(53); Rwanda (54); Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso (55); Guinea, Ivory
Coast (56); Sao Tome, Benin, Morocco (58); and Ghana, Sierra Leone
(60).
Uganda and Zimbabwe rank higher with 61 and 62 visa-free countries
respectively, while Cape Verde, Tunisia and Zambia are on 63; followed
by Tanzania (65); Gambia (66); Namibia (67); and Kenya, Malawi (68).
Tiny Singapore now has the world’s most powerful passport,
according to a new ranking, with its citizens able to travel to the
greatest number of countries visa-free.
Passport Index, which keeps track of how usable such documents are,
said the city-state grabbed the top spot after Paraguay removed
restrictions for Singaporeans.
That means the approximately 3.4 million holders of Singaporean
passports can now travel to 159 countries either without a visa at all,
or can have one issued on arrival.
Germany came in second place, with its citizens able to visit 158
countries without a visa, while Sweden and South Korea tied for third.
The US passport was in sixth place, alongside Malaysia, Ireland and
Canada. Afghanistan came bottom of the list with visa-free access to
just 22 countries.
Passport Index said the US passport’s usefulness has fallen since
President Donald Trump took office, with Turkey and the Central African
Republic becoming the most recent countries to revoke their visa-free
entry for holders.
Passport Index ranks passports worldwide based on the cross-border
access a holder has. It was developed by Canada-based global consultancy
Arton Capital.
“For the first time ever, an Asian country has the most powerful passport in the world,” Philippe May, managing director of Arton Capital’s Singapore office, said in a statement.
“It is a testament of Singapore’s inclusive diplomatic relations and effective foreign policy.”
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