‘Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo announced that entrance visa requirements for all Africans will be removed by the end of 2024, ensuring visa-free travels to the West African country.’
Migration in and across the West-African country, Ghana, is seemingly seeing a positive boost as the country’s president Nana Akufo-Addo finally fulfilled his promise to scrap visas for African nationals which promise he made earlier this year.
The free movement shall be conducted through Ghana’s only international airport as a way of promoting tourism and investment in the West African country. Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) said visitors from African Union (AU) member states would now be issued with passes valid for 30 days on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport.
In a statement, the GIS spokesperson Francis Palmdeti noted that ‘African citizens, affected by the policy, who arrive in the country must have a passport valid for at least three months from the date of entry.’
He further added that to be allowed entry, the visitors must have a return air ticket or evidence of onward travel and show evidence of sufficient funds. They must also have proof of accommodation in the country during the duration of their stay.
The implementation of a visa-free policy will be one of the last laws Akufo-Addo promulgates before he leaves office on 7 January 2025.
For many decades, the African Union (AU) has been pushing for visa-free travels within member states, but the progress has been slow as many countries only focused on regional and bilateral visa-free arrangements.
According to the African Development Bank’s Africa Visa Openness Index, which measures the extent to which African countries open up their borders to Africans, only 28% of all intra-Africa travel by Africans is visa-free.
Currently, only Rwanda, Benin, Seychelles, and The Gambia offer visa-free travel to all Africans.
Kenya, which also announced a visa-free regime for Africans last November, has come under criticism over the new arrangement fraught with many bottlenecks, including a requirement for travelers to apply for an electronic travel authorization 72 hours before the scheduled travel date and payment of a $30 administration fee.
What this means for Africa in terms of Trade
Ghana’s decision to allow visa-free entry for African citizens has significant implications for trade, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and broader regional integration efforts. This move aligns with the objectives of AfCFTA and could lead to several positive developments in various sectors.
Some of the potential impact solutions include but are not limitted to the Promotion of Intra-Africa Trade, Boosting Regional Integration, Fostering Political and Economic Stability, Regional Economic Cooperation and Trade Routes and Incentivizing Investment and Economic Growth.
Free movement protocol
A 2021 data by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority reported that about 220,000 of Ghana’s inbound air traffic was from within Africa – 55% being from West Africa where visa-free travel already exists through ECOWAS.
Ghanaian visa for Africans currently costs $60 for 30-days single entry and $120 for six-month multiple entry, while visa-on-arrival for eligible citizens costs $150.
