(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles has long been ranked as having the strongest passport in Africa, with the largest number of countries that its citizens have visa exemptions for when travelling, and now it has added Benin to the list.

Seychelles and Benin signed a visa exemption agreement at a bilateral meeting during the 19th Summit of the Francophonie held in France from October 4-5, which was undertaken by Seychelles’ Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sylvestre Radegonde.

The Summit of the Francophonie, which is the highest body of the l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), brought together several heads of state and government of French-speaking countries to discuss important issues such as international cooperation, sustainable development and crisis situations in the French-speaking world, in particular the crisis in Lebanon, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Seychelles is currently number one in the ranking for the most influential passport in Africa, according to the Henley & Partners 2024 rankings. The rankings, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), are reflective of passport power through visa-free entry privileges to different countries. Seychelles is 26th worldwide, with 156 visa-free destinations.

The island nation has advanced significantly over time, moving up the rankings from 46th place in the globe in 2006, to now 26^th place. With the signing of this new agreement, it is expected that this ranking may improve.