By John Ikani
Nigerian passport is now ranked 101 out of 199 countries, according to the ranking done by the Henley Passport Index, described as the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports.
The index ranks passports, according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa.
The London, United Kingdom-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, Henley and Partners, explained that the index was based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association — the largest, most accurate travel information database.
The ranking places Japan as number one on the list, followed by Singapore in second place, and South Korea and Germany tied to third. Italy, Finland, Spain and Luxembourg take the fourth position, while Denmark and Austria round out the top five.
The company, on July 6, stated, “With the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics just weeks away, and the country in a ‘quasi’ state of emergency, Japan nonetheless retains its hold on the number one spot on the HPI — which is based on exclusive data from the IATA — with a theoretical visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 193.
“While the dominance of European passports in the top 10 has been a given for most of the index’s 16-year history, the pre-eminence of three Asian states — Japan, Singapore, and South Korea — has become the new normal.
“Singapore remains in second place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 192, and South Korea continues to share joint-third place with Germany, each with a score of 191.”
Seychelles (28th) leads all African countries on the list, followed by Mauritius (31st), South Africa (57th), Botswana (66th), Namibia (72nd), Lesotho (73rd), Eswatini (75th), Malawi (76th), Kenya and Tanzania (77th), Zambia and Tunisia (78th), The Gambia (80th), Uganda and Cape Verde Islands (81st).
African countries that outperformed Nigeria also included Zimbabwe (83rd), Ghana and Morocco (84th), Sierra Leone and Mozambique (85th), Benin (86th), São Tomé and Príncipe and Rwanda (87th), Mauritania (88th), Burkina Faso (89th), Gabon (90th), and Cote d’Ivoire (91st).
Others were Senegal, Madagascar and Equatorial Guinea (92nd), Togo and Guinea (93rd), Niger, Mali, Comoro Islands and Chad (94th), Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic and Algeria (95th), Egypt, Burundi and Angola (96th), Liberia and Cameroon (97th), Republic of the Congo (98th), and Djibouti (99th).
Nigeria beat only seven countries on the continent, namely Ethiopia (102nd), South Sudan (103rd), Eritrea and Democratic Republic of the Congo (104th), Sudan (106th), Libya (107th), and Somalia (111th).
Ranking not surprising – Oaikhenan
Meanwhile, a Professor of International Economics at the University of Benin, Hassan Oaikhenan has described Nigeria’s ranking as not surprising, saying the country’s self-styled Giant of Africa status was a misnomer.
Oaikhenan in a interview with newsmen said “I am surprised that Nigeria came 101st out of 199. I expected Nigeria would be closer to the bottom of the ladder because it is not a self-respecting country.’’
According to him: the Nigerian passport was “as worthless as Nigeria’s currency,” saying a country that did not respect its own citizens should not expect other countries to show them respect.
Ranking dubious – Oyebode
On his part, a Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, Akin Oyebode, faulted the methodology of the HPI, arguing that rather than passports, one should examine the impact of political leadership in tandem with the welfare of nationals to ascertain a country’s global standing.
Oyebode, in an email to newsmen said, “This ranking is dubious and of little consequence in relation to validity and/or acceptability of a country’s passport and any other travel document. A country’s standing within the international community has more to do with good governance and enhancement of the quality of life of the citizens than rankings of self-induced assessors.”
What you should know
In its 2021 Q3 edition, the Henley & Partners Global Mobility Report, a quarterly publication that reportedly features commentary by leading scholars and experts on major trends, accounted for travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the “latest results and research” from the index, there is cause for optimism, though it must be tempered with the reality that cross-border travel continues to be significantly obstructed.
The report noted, “Although some progress has been made, between January and March 2021, international mobility had been restored to just 12 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the same period in 2019, and the gulf between theoretical and actual travel access offered by even high-ranking passports remains significant.
“When compared to the actual travel access currently available even to the holders of top-scoring passports, the picture looks very different: holders of Japanese passports have access to fewer than 80 destinations (equivalent to the passport power of Saudi Arabia, which sits way down in 71st place in the ranking), while holders of Singaporean passports can access fewer than 75 destinations (equivalent to the passport power of Kazakhstan, which sits in 74th place).’’
