By Monday Ukoha
In September 2025, the government of Burkina Faso announced that it would waive visa fees for African visitors; it stopped short of offering no visa free entry to all African citizens, else it would have joined the four countries namely Benin, Seychelles, The Gambia and Rwanda as countries with no visa requirements for African citizens. Ghana has equally announced that from 2025 all Africans with valid passports can visit the country without visas. Kenya in July 2025 allowed Nigerians to visit the country without visa.
Visa Openness report for 2024 while not dire is certainly not a remarkable improvement on 2023. According to the report only 4 African countries out of 54 allow all Africans to visit their counties without a visa. It notes that 28 per cent of intra African travels do not require a visa; 26% of intra African travellers can obtain visas on arrival while 46% must obtain visas before travelling to other African countries. This report would seem to suggest that the process forwards freer movement of African within Africa has tanked.
It is telling that less than 10 percent of African countries do not require visa for visit from citizens of other African countries. It is more interesting to note that African countries open their countries more to citizens of other regions than to fellow Africans. Former African Union Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat had warned in 2018 that African states must ensure “that African are no longer treated like foreigners on their own continent, while others move about therein often freely”.
There are regional disparities in performance with the West African region performing better than other regions even as the report notes that wealthier African countries tend towards more restrictive practices, for obvious reasons.
SAATM AND AfCFTA Are Negatively Impacted
Visa openness and accessibility no doubt is a critical part of any integration process in Africa. Movement of goods and people cannot be optimized; intra African tourism, increased trade relations, etc all depend on the ability of citizens of Africa to assess each other’s countries with limited restrictions. It is for this reason therefore that the African Union in its Agenda 2063, a 50-year project of economic improvement and advancement, has recognized Free Movement of Persons Protocol as one of its flagship projects.
Amongst other sectors where visa openness has serious direct implications is air transport and trade which happen to be two areas Africa is paying attention to through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). While considerable efforts ae being put into both AfCFTA and SAATM, it appears more efforts are need to be invested in the free movement of persons. Intra African tourism is equally impacted by restrictive entry regimes. To access the Safari sites that litter East Africa currently, a citizen of West Africa may require visas for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda respectively.
This Visa Openness report would seem to suggest that the process towards freer movement of Africans within Africa has all but tanked, if not for the efforts of few states. And there are many reasons for this.
- Economic Disparity – Economic disparities have given vent to the fear of loss of jobs due to immigrants, and regional immigrants seem to pose the most challenge for governments. People tend to migrate to areas where they have greater potential to find jobs. Obviously, this is one of the major reasons wealthier African countries have some of the most restrictive visa policies for Africans.
- Security Challenges – Economic challenges often lead to crime and security challenges, especially when there is no means of livelihood. Immigrants are heavily associated with increased crime rate, even if not always the case. So many states shut their borders to Africans to control crime and prevent security challenges. Internecine crisis in many parts of Africa have often led to tighter borders and more restrictive intra Africa movement.
- Social Pressure – Social cohesion is disrupted by irregular migration flow and is often cited as reason for more restrictive visa regimes.
These reasons are germane and unless they are addressed many countries in Africa would continue having restrictive entry policies for Africans.
Examples of West Africa And East Africa
Whilst these challenges remain, examples from West Africa and East Africa and especially Rwanda have shown that free movement of persons does not necessarily equate to more economic, security and social pressures. Of the top 20 countries with liberal entry regimes for Africans, 16 are in East and West Africa regions. Professor Pali Lehohla writing in the New Times notes “Certainly, there are valid concerns about security and managing migration flows. In regions facing significant threats or economic disparities, restrictive policies may seem necessary. However, a more balanced approach is essential. African nations must weigh the imperative for security against the substantial economic benefits of integration and openness.” He concludes that “If Africa is to unlock its full potential, it must start by reimagining its borders. In daring to change the status-quo”.
The example of West African and East African Community can be replicated especially for North Africa and Southern Africa. The case of Rwanda’s openness and the economic benefits has continued to receive attention in recent literature and suffice it to say here that it is indicative of the economic benefits that a relaxed movement regime can foster, if well managed. West Africa’s 15 member states have enjoyed free movement within each other’s countries. Though security challenges exist, they have not been overwhelmed by crime nor economic exploitation. It does even appear that the proclivity to overstay exists more where visa regimes are restrictive.
The Role For the AU
It is bears repeating that the benefits of the AfCFTA and SAATM will not be fully attained without a commensurate freer movement for Africans within Africa. If anything, it has also become clearer that mere proclamations at AU summits without needed ground work would not move the needle. What is required now is a continental workplan to ensure the full implementation of the Free Movement of Persons Protocol.
The starting point may be to ensure that all African states fully subscribe to the Free Movement of Persons Protocol. Secondly, elsewhere, many have recommended increased adoption of national identity documents in all countries of the continent. Thirdly, regional and bilateral approaches remain very recommended and must be encouraged as building blocks for what would become a visa less Africa for Africans. Furthermore, the AU can drive more continental cooperation in the areas of economic development, security and crime prevention.
Conclusion
Free movement of persons will definitely improve air transport. One can make an example of the number of flights between Nigeria and Ghana for inference. Trade will also be positively impacted.
The progress of the Regional Economic Communities namely ECOWAS, EAC, SADC, has shown that free movement of persons across Africa is possible. As East Africans are moving freely within the East African Community, and West Africans are moving freely within ECOWAS, it does not need to stretch much of the imagination to know that it possible, if efforts are invested.
Africa must be open to Africans.