Nigeria: Number of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries citizens can visit by region in 2021

Nigerians can visit 19 visa-free countries and 26 visa-on-arrival countries, with varying durations of stay. Here is a breakdown of the number of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries for Nigerians by region.

Source:

Passport Index

Period:

2021
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Southern Africa houses 6 of the top 10 African countries with the strongest passports
  • Seychelles has Africa’s strongest passport.
  • Mauritius is the only other African country with a passport close to Seychelles'.
  • South Africa leads the mainland pack, but still trails the island leaders by a wide margin.
  • No country outside the top three crosses a mobility score of 100.
  • Visa-required destinations still dominate for every passport in the top ten, except Seychelles and Mauritius.
Nigerians can enter 33% of African countries visa-free, while 43% still require a visa
  • Nigeria faces visa requirements in nearly half of Africa.
  • West Africa is Nigeria’s easiest mobility zone.
  • Beyond its West African neighbors, the Nigerian passport unlocks visa-free entry to only four other African nations
  • ECOWAS is the biggest reason for Nigeria’s visa-free access to its neighbours.
  • Visa openness drops sharply outside West Africa.
  • Africa’s free-movement agenda is still uneven in practice.
  • Business mobility remains constrained by visa friction.
14 African nations affected as the US expands temporary visa restrictions to include Nigeria
  • Africa is the hardest-hit region, with 14 countries under partial visa restrictions, including Nigeria, limiting travel for business, tourism, and study.
  • Temporary bans target B‑1/B‑2 visas for business and tourism, and may also affect F‑1 student, M‑1 vocational, and J exchange visitor visas, impacting students, trainees, and cultural exchange participants.
  • Other affected regions include the Caribbean, Asia, and South America, showing the temporary restrictions span multiple continents.
  • Exemptions exist for lawful permanent residents, diplomats, and travellers with valid pre-existing visas, so not all citizens from these countries are blocked from entering the US.
 
Nearly 2.8 million African-born immigrants live in the US as of 2023, led by Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Egypt
  • In 2023, the total number of African-born immigrants in the US was about 2.79 million.
  • Western Africa is the largest source region, contributing 1.08 million immigrants (39%), led by Nigeria (476k).
  • Eastern Africa is the second-largest source (28%), dominated by Ethiopia (278.2k).
  • Northern Africa accounts for 17%, mainly from Egypt (225.7k).
  • Central Africa contributes 8%, with Cameroon (90.7k) as the top country.
  • Southern Africa is smaller at 5%, almost entirely from South Africa (133.4k).
  • Five countries—Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Cameroon, and South Africa—together make up nearly half of all African-born immigrants in the US.
South Africa leads Africa in travel and tourism competitiveness, ranking 55th worldwide
  • South Africa leads Africa on the 2024 Global Travel & Tourism Index, ranking 55th worldwide with a TTI score of 3.99.
  • Mauritius and Egypt follow closely, placing 57th and 61st globally, both scoring just below 4.0, showing strong competitiveness.
  • North Africa dominates the list, with Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia all making the top 10, highlighting the region’s strategic tourism appeal.
  • Rwanda and Namibia stand out despite being ranked lower globally (93rd and 95th), reflecting progress in tourism development in smaller economies.
H-1B visa programme shows rising demand with 427k petitions filed in 2024
  • Petitions peaked in 2022, with 474,301 filed, but only 442,043 approved, marking the widest gap in the five-year period.
  • 2021 was unique, as approvals (407,071) actually exceeded the number of petitions filed (398,269), reflecting carryovers or adjustments from prior years.
  • 2023 saw the lowest filings and approvals, at just under 387,000 each, signalling reduced demand or stricter caps.
  • By 2024, filings rebounded to over 427,000, but approvals lagged at 399,402, continuing the trend of more petitions being filed than granted.
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