Ghana’s outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo Friday announced visa-free travel for all African passport holders from the start of this year, marking a step towards continental economic integration.
This announcement was made during his final state of the nation address as he prepares to leave office on January 6 after completing two terms.
“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 allowed visas on arrival for travelers from 25 others. Only two African nations—Eritrea and Morocco—required a visa before entry.
This new visa-free policy is part of Ghana’s broader efforts to enhance its global standing, building on initiatives like the 2019 Year of Return, which celebrated the African diaspora and marked the 400th anniversary of 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.
Akufo-Addo also used his last address to trumpet economic progress under his leadership, citing an increase in Ghana’s gross international reserves to $8 billion, from $6.2 billion in 2017, and significant GDP growth in 2024.
“Economic growth has returned to the pre-Covid trajectory,” he said, projecting a 6.3-percent growth rate for 2025.
“I leave behind a Ghana that is thriving, one that has navigated significant global challenges with remarkable tenacity, whose economy is steadily rebounding, and whose institutions are operating effectively,” he said.
The oil-and-gold-rich West African nation is regarded as one of the most stable democracies in Africa.
However, since 2022, Ghana has been grappling with one of its worst economic crises in decades and is currently receiving support through a $3-billion relief program from the International Monetary Fund.
The outgoing president will hand over power to John Mahama, who won the December elections.