Ghana’s Outgoing President Akufo-Addo announces visa-free travel for all African passport holders
In his final State of the Nation address on Friday, Ghana’s outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo unveiled a significant step towards continental integration by announcing visa-free travel for all African passport holders, effective from the beginning of 2025.
Akufo-Addo, who is set to step down on January 6 after two terms in office, described the move as a crucial advancement for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aiming to strengthen economic ties within the world’s largest trading bloc.
“This is the logical next step to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” Akufo-Addo stated, highlighting the move as essential for achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a connected and integrated continent by 2063.
Ghana becomes the latest African country to adopt visa-free travel, joining nations like Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia, and Benin. The policy expands on Ghana’s previous efforts to facilitate easier access, including allowing visa-free entry for citizens from 26 African nations and visas on arrival for 25 others.
The policy is part of Ghana’s broader efforts to strengthen its international presence, following initiatives such as the 2019 Year of Return, which commemorated the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade and attracted thousands of African diaspora visitors.
In his address, Akufo-Addo also highlighted Ghana’s economic progress, citing an increase in gross international reserves to $8 billion from $6.2 billion in 2017, and projected a 6.3% GDP growth rate for 2025. However, the nation continues to recover from a severe economic crisis, currently under a $3-billion IMF relief program.
As Akufo-Addo prepares to hand over the presidency to John Mahama, who won December’s elections, he expressed pride in Ghana’s stability and economic resilience. “I leave behind a Ghana that is thriving,” he declared.
