Kehinde Fajobi
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced the implementation of visa-free travel for all African passport holders, effective January 1, 2025, marking a significant milestone for continental integration.
Speaking on Friday during his final State of the Nation address to parliament, Akufo-Addo said, “I am proud to have approved visa-free travel to Ghana for all African passport holders, with effect from the beginning of this year.”
He described the policy as a natural extension of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to create the world’s largest trading bloc.
“This is the logical next step to the African Continental Free Trade Area and the workings of the largest trading bloc in the world,” he noted.
Akufo-Addo added that the initiative aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a fully integrated and connected continent.
“All these are essential elements to the realisation of the AU’s Agenda 2063, which envisages an integrated and connected Africa by 2063,” he said.
Ghana now joins countries like Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia, and Benin in offering visa-free entry to African travellers.
Previously, Ghana allowed visa-free access to citizens of 26 African nations and visas on arrival for travellers from 25 others, with only two countries, Eritrea and Morocco, requiring pre-entry visas.
The visa-free policy builds on Ghana’s international outreach efforts, such as the 2019 Year of Return campaign, which celebrated African heritage and marked 400 years since the transatlantic slave trade.
The campaign attracted global attention, bringing thousands of visitors, including celebrities, and further establishing Ghana as a cultural and tourism hub.