Nigeria has been ranked sixth among 54 African countries in the 2024 African Visa Openness Index (AVOI), a report jointly released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union.
The AVOI evaluates how easy it is for African citizens to travel within the continent by tracking the visa policies of African nations.
The AVOI report defines “visa openness” as the ease with which travelers can obtain authorization to enter a country, pending final determination by immigration officials.
A more visa-open country typically has a more relaxed visa policy, either allowing visa-free entry or offering a visa on arrival.
The report highlights that Benin, The Gambia, Rwanda, and Seychelles continue to hold the top spots in the 2024 rankings.
The index further reveals that 16 of the top-20 ranked countries are located in West and East Africa, with eight countries from each region.
North Africa is represented by one country, Mauritania, while Southern Africa includes Madagascar, Mauritius, and Mozambique.
It is also noted that 18 of the top-20 countries in the AVOI are classified as lower-middle-income or low-income, suggesting that such nations are often more willing to adopt liberal visa policies.
In contrast, many higher-income countries maintain more restrictive visa regimes, possibly due to concerns over economic migration or irregular migration risks.
The report states that the visa openness index measures casual travel, distinct from rights related to business activities or residence.
In terms of improvement, the report reveals that 39 countries have seen a rise in their AVOI rankings from 2016 to 2024. Among the most improved countries are Benin, which moved from 31st to 1st, Ethiopia (46th to 19th), Sierra Leone (32nd to 13th), Nigeria (25th to 6th), and The Gambia (18th to 1st).
This progress reflects growing efforts to ease travel between African nations, fostering greater regional connectivity.
