By Olakunle Agboola – Two African countries, Rwanda, and Kenya, have recently announced visa-free travel for all Africans. This is a welcome development and a sign of progress towards a more integrated continent.
President Ruto emphasized the need to eliminate visa restrictions among nations, stating that such restrictions are counterproductive when speaking at an international conference in Congo-Brazzaville. He highlighted the adverse impact of visa restrictions on businesses, entrepreneurs, and travelers as he declared Kenya’s commitment to change the narratives. This was enthusiastic applause as President Ruto emphasized that by the end of this year, no African will be required to have a visa to come to Kenya.
President Paul Kagame also made his intention known of a Visa-free travel to Rwanda in the Rwandan capital, Kigali during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council. He emphasized that Africans, can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish, and they will not pay a thing to enter Kenya. President Kagame focused on the future of Africa as he perceived not losing sight of the continental market, and embracing the future of global tourism which Africa is set to take a lead.
Visa openness facilitates trade and investments, fills skills gaps in the labor market, creates jobs, and fosters tourism. Countries in the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific have been at the forefront of visa facilitation. This has shaped their economies and boosted social integration. The Schengen visa, combined with good air, rail, and road connectivity has made Europe the biggest destination for tourists in the world. In 2014, almost 1.7 people living in Europe worked in another Schengen country, and about 3.5 million people crossed internal Schengen-area borders each day. Around 24 million business trips and 57 million cross-border goods movements were also recorded in the Schengen area that year.
The Gulf Cooperation Council continues to remain a glowing example of what a unified region can achieve, as African continents are expected to think laterally and unify the region through visa-free movements. In this regard, The African Union (AU) has attempted to address this issue of free movement within the region for the last 30 years. The goal of facilitating visa-free travel within the continent has long been pursued but is very slow in unifying 54 countries to agree on free visa travel.
Visa-free entry has several potential benefits for Africa. Beyond boosting the economy, Africans would be able to travel freely across borders and see themselves as a common community. It makes it easier for businesses to operate across borders and increases trade and investment, as well as job creation. Visa-free travel will promote cultural exchange as Africans can learn about other cultures and build relationships with people from different backgrounds. This will help to reduce prejudice and promote understanding.
There is hope for more countries to follow the lead of Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles as Rwanda and Kenya have added to the number making it 5 countries by the end of 2023, who would have been free of visa restriction.
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