Looking forward to travel with a Nigerian passport in 2025? The New Daily Prime reports an encouraging trend: Nigerian citizens can now enter at least 17 African countries without a visa, with an additional 36 offering visa-on-arrival. Thanks to growing regional cooperation and rising visa openness, travel across Africa is becoming easier than ever.
Visa-Free Travel for Nigerians in Africa
According to the Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) 2025 report, 17 countries across Africa currently allow visa-free access for Nigerian passport holders.
List of Visa-Free African Countries for Nigerians:
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Chad
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Liberia
- Mali
- Niger
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- The Gambia
- Togo
These destinations enable Nigerians to enter without the hassle of pre-approved visas, fostering more accessible travel and stronger inter-African relations.
Visa-on-Arrival Countries for Nigerian Travelers
In addition to visa-free countries, 36 African nations now offer Nigerians a visa on arrival, further expanding mobility options within the continent.
Visa-on-Arrival African Countries for Nigerians:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Central African Republic
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- DR Congo
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
These countries allow Nigerian travellers to receive a visa upon arrival at their ports of entry, easing bureaucratic burdens and encouraging cross-border movement.
Growing Trends in African Visa Openness
The AVOI report outlines significant progress in intra-African travel policies. Several countries have made meaningful improvements in promoting visa-free and simplified entry for fellow African nations.
Key Improvements:
- Benin, The Gambia, Rwanda, and Seychelles now allow visa-free entry to all African nationals.
- 28% of intra-African travel scenarios are now visa-free in 2024, up from 20% in 2016.
- 26 African countries (44%) offer eVisas, compared to just 9 countries (17%) in 2016.
This shows a trend toward greater mobility, economic integration, and regional collaboration.
Visa Openness Rankings: How Nigeria and Others Have Progressed
Between 2016 and 2024, 39 African countries improved their visa openness scores. Here are some standout performers:
- Benin: Rank 31 → 1
- The Gambia: Rank 18 → 1
- Nigeria: Rank 25 → 6
- Ethiopia: Rank 46 → 19
- Sierra Leone: Rank 32 → 13
This upward movement indicates a continental push toward openness and a more unified African travel experience.
Key Travel Scenarios Tracked by AVOI
The Africa Visa Openness Index categorizes countries by three main access types:
- Visa-Free Access
- Up from 20% (2016) to 28% (2024)
- 803 visa-free travel scenarios recorded — a record high
- Visa-on-Arrival
- Remains steady but reflects a shift from stricter visa requirements
- Visa Required Before Travel
- Decreased from 55% (2016) to 47% (2024)
- Still the most common but steadily declining
With 17 visa-free destinations and 36 visa-on-arrival options, Nigerian travelers in 2025 have more freedom to explore the continent than ever before. As African nations continue to expand access and ease visa policies, the dream of seamless African travel is becoming a reality.
Always check the latest visa and entry requirements before traveling, as policies can change.
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