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Claim: X user claims the Nigerian passport is now ranked 88th globally.
Verdict: Misleading! According to information from the Henley passport index and media organisations, Nigeria has cleared its backlogs but is now ranked 91, not 88.
Full Text
Nigeria’s passport ranking has consistently remained low on global mobility indices due to various factors, including visa restrictions, diplomatic relations, security concerns, and economic stability.
X user Big DonDaDa (@Dapor) praised the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for clearing the Nigerian Immigration Service’s backlog. He also claimed that the Nigerian passport is ranked 88th on the Henley Passport Index and shared an image to support this claim.
“Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo @BTOofficial is transforming the Ministry of Interior from clearing backlogs to elevating Nigeria’s passport to global PKD certification. That’s our highest since 2012,” the user wrote.
Since this is an area of interest for many Nigerians, DUBAWA decided to fact-check this.
Verification
According to the Minister of Interior, Tunji-Ojo, during a ministerial press briefing, his administration saw a massive passport backlog when he took office and has prioritised swiftly clearing the backlog.
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
A quick search of Nigeria’s position on its website reveals that the country is ranked 91st, with 45 visa-free destinations. In Africa, Nigeria’s passport ranked higher than those of only a few countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia.
News reports from credible news organisations like Punch Newspapers and The Cable also noted that Nigeria was ranked 91st globally, not 88th, as X user claimed.
Conclusion
The data attached to the post, indicating that Nigeria is placed 88th on the list for global passports, is misleading. According to reports from Henley and other credible sources, Nigeria is 91st.
