John Dramani Mahama, the former president of Ghana, delivered a passionate appeal to African leaders, urging them to adopt a visa-free system that would streamline travel within the continent. Addressing attendees at the Afro-Heritage Conference in Lagos, Nigeria, Mahama highlighted the significance of this initiative in promoting unity and prosperity across Africa.
According to Mahama, eliminating the need for visas would not only enhance regional integration but also stimulate economic progress. He stressed that by facilitating easier movement between African nations, barriers to trade, investment, and cooperation would be reduced, paving the way for increased collaboration and development opportunities.
Mahama’s advocacy for a visa-free regime reflects his vision for a more interconnected and prosperous Africa, where the free flow of people and ideas can catalyze growth and transformation on a continental scale.
“How can you develop as a continent when you can’t travel to each other’s countries? In the European Union, they don’t need a visa to go from Belgium to Scandinavia. In the U.S., they don’t need a visa to go from New York to California. In Africa, we shouldn’t need a visa to go from Ghana to Ethiopia. And so we are moving in the right direction, but I think that time is not on our side.
“We have a growing youthful population that is impatient with the pace of opportunities that we are creating for them.”
Credit: CitiNewsroom
