African policymakers, business leaders and development institutions have renewed calls for visa-free travel across the continent, describing the free movement of people as essential to advancing Africa’s economic transformation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The call was reinforced at a High-Level Symposium on Advancing a Visa-Free Africa for Economic Prosperity, co-convened by the African Development Bank Group and the African Union Commission on the margins of the 39th African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.

Mobility As The Missing Link

Participants characterised mobility as a critical gap in Africa’s integration agenda. While tariff reductions under AfCFTA are progressing, restrictive visa regimes were identified as continuing barriers to trade in services, investment flows, tourism and labour mobility.

Alex Mubiru, Director General for Eastern Africa at the African Development Bank Group, stated that visa-free travel, interoperable digital systems and integrated markets are practical enablers of enterprise, innovation and regional value chains.

“The evidence is clear. The economics support openness. The human story demands it,” he told participants, urging countries to move from incremental reforms to what he described as transformative change.

Calls For Accelerated Implementation

Amma A. Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission, called for faster implementation of existing continental frameworks. She described visa openness as a strategic lever for deepening regional markets and strengthening collective responses to economic and humanitarian crises.

Former AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma reiterated that free movement remains central to the African Union’s long-term development blueprint, Agenda 2063. She urged member states to operationalise initiatives such as the African Passport and the Free Movement of Persons Protocol.

Ghana’s Trade and Industry Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, outlined her country’s experience as an early adopter of open visa policies for African travellers, citing increased business travel, tourism and investor interest.

Aviation Connectivity And Visa Reform

The Symposium reviewed findings from the latest Africa Visa Openness Index, which indicates that more than half of intra-African travel still requires visas prior to departure. Participants described this as a constraint on intra-continental commerce.

Mesfin Bekele, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, emphasised that implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and visa liberalisation must advance together to enable seamless travel across the continent.

Representatives also highlighted the importance of building trust through strengthened border management and digital information-sharing systems. Gabby Otchere Darko, Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network, encouraged governments to support the “Make Africa Borderless Now” campaign, while tourism campaigner Ras Mubarak called for further ratifications of the AU Free Movement of Persons Protocol.

Coordinated Approach To Mobility

Participants concluded that achieving a visa-free Africa will require alignment of migration policies, digital identity systems and border infrastructure, alongside sustained political commitment.

In a symbolic gesture, attendees signed a “passport wall” to demonstrate support for accelerated reforms aimed at easing cross-border movement for African citizens.

The African Development Bank Group and the African Union Commission confirmed their intention to continue working with member states and regional bodies to advance coordinated approaches to mobility, positioning it as a cornerstone of Africa’s integration, competitiveness and long-term growth.