- Ghana is the 5th African country to have approved visa-free entry for all African nationals.
- Ghana joins Rwanda, Benin, The Gambia, and the Seychelles in promoting economic integration and supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
- Ghana was ranked 5th with a score of 0.868 by the African Visa Openness Index 2024.
In just two weeks before leaving the office, Ghanaian incumbent Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made a significant milestone in fulfilling the African Union’s vision of economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aimed at making Africa borderless and accessible to all African nationals.
The move comes in such critical moments for Africa as a continent struggles to incorporate measures encompassing economic, governance, business, and entrepreneurial corporations to bolster trade and free movement of people, goods, and services across.
Ghana joins early adopters in enabling visa-free entry for all. African passport holders across more than 55 countries: Rwanda, The Gambia, the Seychelles, and Benin, with many more countries expected to follow suit in the coming years.
The president initially vowed to make the decision during the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD 2024) in January from 25th-27th, but has eventually seen the light of day almost a year later. With his presidency expected to expire on January 6th, 2025, a section of Ghanaians has become critical of the move, terming it a gimmick to galvanize his administration’s economic failures.
“Many of you had a visa to attend this event,” a reference to the Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo in his APD 2024 keynote address under the theme, “Developing Prosperity in Africa: Produce, Add Value, and Trade.
“The government of Ghana is committed to ensuring visa-free travel for all Africans, and the process has begun to implement the policy this year,” he reaffirmed his government’s effort towards enhancing free movement of people, goods, and services across the region, thereby promoting economic integration.
With the executive order granted on December 18th, 2024, by the president for the execution by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Ministry of Interior, the implementation of the same is underway, even as the official commencement date remains undisclosed.
Ghana was ranked 5th with a score of 0.868 by the African Visa Openness Index 2024, an improvement compared to eight years ago. Prior to the announcement by the president, at least 26 African countries’ nationals required no visa to visit Ghana.
African nationals from 25 countries were required to produce visas on arrival, and nationals visiting Ghana from 2 African countries were strictly required to have a visa prior to travel arrangements.
