Ghana has announced a new visa-free travel policy for all African passport holders, effective from the start of this year.
The outgoing President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo announced this this during his address to the parliament on Friday.
He would step down on January 6 after spending 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 stated during his speech to parliament.
He described the policy as a logical progression towards the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s largest trading bloc.
“This is a crucial step for the realisation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions an integrated and connected Africa by 2063,” he added, referring to the AU’s long-term development plan.
“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 joins Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia and Benin in offering visa-free entry to African travellers.
Ghana had previously allowed visa-free access to citizens of 26 African nations and visas on arrival for travellers from 25 others, while only two African countries — Eritrea and Morocco — required a visa before entry.
The visa-free policy builds on Ghana’s efforts to strengthen its international reputation, particularly through initiatives like the 2019 Year of Return, which celebrated the African diaspora and commemorated 400 years since the transatlantic slave trade.
The campaign attracted thousands of visitors, including celebrities, to Ghana and led to some receiving citizenship, bolstering the country’s global profile as a cultural and tourism hub.
