The index which is updated monthly ranks 199 different passports and determines the global freedoms of 227 countries and territories around the world. Singaporean passport topped the log. You can enter 195 countries visa-free with the red-back passport of the Asian country. Australian passport regarded as the most expensive in the world at $412 (N700,400) takes you to 189 countries visa-free. It placed 6th in the power ranking index, a position it shares with Greece.

 The index is created by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, which analysed data from the International Air Transport Association. Japan’s $162 passport ranked second, with access to 193 destinations. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland and South Korea all tied for third spot with visa-free access to 192 destinations.

 Fourth spot is held by seven countries namely: Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The 4th place countries are part of the European Union’s border-free Schengen jurisdiction, which provides 425 million EU citizens access to 191 destinations with no prior visa needed.

 New Zealand came in at fifth place, along with Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom – with visa-free access to 190 destinations. The United States and Estonia share 9th position with visa-free access to 186 countries.

 Note the top nations with the most powerful passports. They are countries with high standard of life and liveability status. The Global Liveability Ranking, a yearly assessment published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranked 172 global cities (it previously ranked 140 cities) for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Each annual ranking throws up almost the same cities with some interchanging positions. The best ranked cities are those with quality healthcare, welfare for citizens, quality education, social security nets, low unemployment rate, general security of lives and property.

 Austria’s capital, Vienna, has consistently topped the log of most liveable cities. It was ranked the most liveable city in 2024, 2023, and 2022 among the 172 cities surveyed by the EIU. It held the same top position in 2019 and 2018, and was only edged to second position in 2017 and 2016. Melbourne, Australia, was ranked by the EIU as the world’s most liveable city for seven years in a row, from 2011 to 2017. All of these cities share something in common: shelter, food and security are guaranteed rights of the people. Accessible and affordable healthcare, good and affordable education count as routine for the citizens.

Now, consider the other extreme of the log. The Syrian capital, Damascus, was ranked the least liveable city of the 140 assessed in 2018 and 2019. Reason? Insecurity, which triggered hardship among the citizens, was the greatest factor that counted against Damascus as it counted against other cities in the lower rung of the log.

 So, why should this bother any Nigerian, seeing the citizens are grappling with inflation, cash squeeze, insecurity and brutal widespread hardship? There is a lot of reasons to worry about the status of Nigeria passport.

 A passport is the most powerful and most critical international travel document of any citizen. It is the globally recognised identity of the bearer, besides conferring citizenship status on the bearer. Passport is a passage ticket aside being a symbol of national identity. The status of a nation’s passport determines how the citizens of that country are treated globally at airports, seaports and other entry points to other nations. In a sense, your passport is an expression of your worth; the premium placed on your country and it determines how the world perceives the bearer as an individual and the country he or she represents.

 In political diplomacy, a weak passport leaves the bearer with a short shrift in bilateral bargains. Take the case of Nigeria. A Nigeria passport gives a Nigerian visa-access to only 46 countries in the world; but there are other countries whose citizens can access over 140 nations including Nigeria without going through the rigours of visa application, some of which are denied. On the surface, this translates directly to psychological and trade imbalance skewed against Nigeria. Their nationals can easily come into Nigeria and take our wealth away but Nigerians cannot do same in these countries because they are often denied visa (access). This comes with serious economic implications.

 Restricting Nigerian passports to only 46 countries, most of them African countries, restricts Nigerians from global opportunities. In a modern world governed by free trade and the tenets of globalisation, the status of a nation’s passport matters. If the South African passport can access 106 nations visa-free; Botswana (88 nations), Namibia (81), Lesotho (79), Eswatini (77), Malawi (75), Kenya (74), The Gambia (71), Uganda (70) and Ghana (68), then everything is wrong with Nigeria’s 46 nations access. It’s demeaning and insulting.

 But don’t get riled just yet. The problem is inside Nigeria and inside Nigerians. Nigeria ranks high on the global corruption index, high on global terrorism index, high on crime and illicit drug index, high on poor quality of life index and very high on poor leadership, injustice and impunity indices. Any country with such dour profile is not likely to be respected in the comity of nations. And if you check the character of persons Nigerians have been electing and appointing into offices, some raw felons without content and character, these past decades, then you’ll know that this dust is not settling anytime soon. The world will not respect a country that does not respect its citizens. The poor status of the Nigerian passport is a reflection of the nation’s value system. A system that rewards villainy, corruption and blackmail; promotes bigotry and banditry; and idolises medieval criminality, should not expect to be respected or its citizens treated with dignity in other lands.