On Friday, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo revealed that visa-free travel for all African passport holders will begin at the start of this year, representing a significant step towards economic integration across the continent.
The announcement was made during his final State of the Nation address as he prepares to step down on January 6 after completing two terms in office.
“I am proud to have approved visa-free travel to Ghana for all African passport holders, with effect from the beginning of this year,” Akufo-Addo said in his speech to parliament.
“This is the logical next step to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the workings of the largest trading bloc in the world,” he said.
“All these are essential elements to the realisation of the AU’s Agenda 2063, which envisages an integrated and connected Africa by 2063,” he added, referring to the African Union’s development blueprint for a 50-year period.
Ghana now joins Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia, and Benin in offering visa-free entry to African travelers.
Previously, Ghana had granted visa-free access to citizens of 26 African countries and offered visas on arrival to travelers from 25 others, while only two African nations—Eritrea and Morocco—required a visa for entry.
This new visa-free policy further strengthens Ghana’s international standing, following initiatives like the 2019 Year of Return, which celebrated the African diaspora and marked the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade.
