The Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI), which evaluates how accessible African countries are to travelers from other African nations, has ranked Nigeria 6th in its latest report. This marks a significant improvement from her 25th position in 2016, highlighting the country’s growing commitment to easing travel restrictions for African visitors.
According to the report, Nigerian passport holders can now travel visa-free to 17 African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone.
Additionally, 36 countries offer visas on arrival, such as Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The report highlights a steady rise in visa-free travel within Africa. In 2024, 28% of intra-African travel routes do not require a visa, compared to just 20% in 2016 (a 40% increase over the past nine years). Furthermore, more countries are embracing e-visas, with 26 African nations (44% of the continent) offering online visa applications in 2024, up from just nine (17%) in 2016.
A key take home from the report is that 39 African countries have improved their visa openness scores since 2016. Among the top five most improved nations, Benin (31st to 1st), Ethiopia (46th to 19th), Sierra Leone (32nd to 13th), Nigeria (25th to 6th), and The Gambia (18th to 1st) have demonstrated remarkable progress.
Countries have made significant shifts in their visa policies by moving from requiring visas in advance to offering visa-on-arrival or visa-free access. While 47% of African travel scenarios still require a visa before travel (down from 55% in 2016), this marks a steady improvement.
Countries like Benin, The Gambia, Rwanda, and Seychelles now offer visa-free entry to all African nationals, setting an example for greater regional integration.
Despite these advancements, the report notes that visa restrictions remain relatively high across the continent, with some countries going back to stricter policies in the past year. However, with nearly half of Africa now offering e-visas, the outlook for seamless travel continues to improve.
