newsghana.com.gh · Feb 15, 2026 · Collected from GDELT
Published: 20260215T143000Z
Ghana Amplifies Africa’s Visa Free Push African leaders, government officials, and continental institutions have called for urgent political commitment to accelerate visa-free travel across the continent, describing mobility restrictions as major obstacles to economic integration, trade expansion, and youth employment. The calls emerged from a High-Level Symposium on Advancing a Visa-Free Africa for Economic Prosperity held on Friday, February 13, 2026, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The symposium was organized by the African Union Commission’s Department of Health, Humanitarian and Social Affairs and the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group during the 39th Summit of AU Heads of State and Government. Mesfin Tasew Bekele, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines Group, emphasized that visa restrictions remain a primary reason for weak intra-African air connectivity despite gradual improvements in recent years. He noted that the continent’s aviation industry remains underdeveloped largely because demand for air travel within Africa stays low. Bekele revealed that although Ethiopian Airlines is one of the leading carriers on the continent, a significant portion of its passengers travel between Africa and other parts of the world rather than within Africa itself. Ethiopian Airlines carries people between Africa, but most of our passengers are between Africa and the rest of the world, he stated. He disclosed that more than 35 percent of travellers moving between Africa and the rest of the world are transported by non-African airlines, while African airlines account for only about 30 percent of that market share. If the visa restriction is lifted, then it means people will have a greater chance to travel between Africa, and that will create the demand for air travel within Africa, Bekele emphasized. The Ethiopian Airlines CEO also highlighted structural barriers beyond visas that limit the growth of Africa’s aviation sector. He referenced the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), one of the African Union’s flagship projects aimed at liberalizing air travel, but lamented the slow pace of implementation. Even though SAATM has been formulated by the African Union as one of the flagship projects, unfortunately the progress is still very slow, he noted. Bekele disclosed that some African countries still deny other African airlines access to their territories due to fears of competition, forcing travellers to take indirect routes through non-African hubs such as Dubai. Elias Mpedi Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), called for stronger political commitment and leadership across Africa to accelerate the implementation of free movement protocols. He expressed concern that despite the African Union’s adoption of key continental instruments aimed at facilitating the movement of persons, only four out of the continent’s 54 countries have ratified them. That says a lot about our commitment as a continent, he stated, stressing that the slow ratification process raises serious questions about Africa’s readiness to fully embrace integration. Magosi acknowledged that within SADC, many member states have ratified regional protocols on the facilitation of movement, but others remain hesitant, often citing security concerns as a major reason for resisting full openness. The SADC Executive Secretary praised some member states for taking steps toward visa liberalization, singling out Zimbabwe, Mauritius, and Seychelles for granting visa-free entry to citizens from across the region. He noted that other countries have also made progress by easing restrictions for the majority of SADC states, although full free movement has not yet been achieved. Magosi stressed that the pace of integration across Africa ultimately depends on political will at the highest level. Everything rises and falls on leadership, he argued, warning that Africa risks falling behind if commitments remain only on paper without concrete action. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Production, Social, and Political Sectors at the East African Community (EAC), highlighted strides the region has made in facilitating free movement. She noted that all eight EAC member states now issue visas on arrival that are free of charge to East African citizens, a policy she described as a significant step toward regional integration. Countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda now allow citizens to prove their East African identity with a national ID at border crossings, removing the need for a passport in many cases. The EAC has also introduced a common East African Passport designed to further simplify travel within the region. As His Excellency Magosi mentioned, the integration agenda can never take off if Africans cannot move. It is through movement that you trade. There are opportunities across borders. You can only achieve your dreams if free movement of people is facilitated, Malueth stressed. Mohi El Din Salem, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, emphasized the critical role of political action and practical solutions in advancing Africa’s free movement agenda. He highlighted challenges posed by overlapping memberships in regional economic communities. Four of our IGAD member states are also part of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as well as other blocs. This multiplicity of membership affects implementation, he noted. Minister Salem proposed the adoption of interoperable identification systems as a transformative measure. We do not have to wait indefinitely for full ratification. Digital solutions, including interoperable IDs, can operate in parallel to assure security and facilitate movement, he stated. The Sudanese Minister also called for the introduction of single electronic visas as a practical approach to improving regional mobility. Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, highlighted the transformative impact of the country’s visa-free policy on trade, investment, and regional integration. Ghana was the fifth African country, after Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin, to implement visa-free entry for all African nationals, with the landmark policy taking effect last year. As the proud host of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat in Accra, we recognize that the three point four trillion dollar market potential of AfCFTA cannot be fully realized if businesses cannot meet face to face, negotiate deals, establish partnerships, and build cross-border value chains, Minister Ofosu-Agyare stated. She revealed that since the policy’s implementation, intra-African business travel to Ghana has increased by over 30 percent within two years, opening opportunities for Ghanaian exporters in agribusiness, light manufacturing, and services to explore regional markets with unprecedented ease. Ras Mubarak, Campaign Lead for the Trans-Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign, called for urgent action to implement a visa-free Africa, emphasizing the transformative potential of open borders for trade, tourism, and youth employment. Drawing from his five-month journey across 28 African countries, which included visits to 31 cities, Mubarak highlighted the diversity and richness of Africa’s cultures, people, and natural landscapes. Currently, only four African countries have ratified the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, though Nigeria and Mali are currently suspended by the African Union. If we are serious about a visa-free Africa by 2030, more countries must lead by example, he stressed, citing Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa as critical players. Mubarak criticized the current visa requirements at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, noting that Africans still pay a visa fee of 50 dollars to enter the host country. This is mindless, he stated. The headquarters of the African Union should set an example for visa-free travel, not impose barriers. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), called for a shift in Africa’s integration agenda from elite-level discussions to a people-driven movement that directly benefits ordinary citizens, particularly young people and small businesses. The whole idea of Pan-Africanism and African integration has been restricted to the elite. It has never really been owned and driven by the people, he stated. Otchere-Darko outlined several priority reforms that the Africa Prosperity Network is championing under what he described as a 12-point call to action. Key proposals include the promotion of visa-free travel across Africa, open skies and full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market, and achieving continent-wide mobile money interoperability. He highlighted the enormous potential of Africa’s digital finance space, noting that the continent hosts nearly one billion mobile money accounts and accounts for about 65 percent of global mobile money transactions. As part of efforts to compel political action, Otchere-Darko announced a new signature campaign aimed at mobilizing Africans to demand implementation of agreed integration policies. Using a QR code-based sign-up system launched last week, he said the initiative has already attracted more than 76,000 supporters. The campaign’s target is to secure 10 billion signatures within 24 months, which would be presented to African leaders as a clear message that citizens are no longer willing to accept delays. Enough is enough. This time the people are saying implement what you signed, he declared. Otchere-Darko further stressed that African politicians must recognize integration as essential to solving the continent’s unemployment crisis. With over one billion young people in Africa, more than 400 million of them of working age, he cautioned that the continent must create between 15 and 20 million jobs annually to meet demand. Acco