On the sidelines at the 38th African Union Summit, African leaders discussed obstacles to economic integration on the continent, highlighting visa-free moves to reduce illegal migration and strengthen official travel channels.
The high-level dialogue convened by the African Development Bank Group and the African Union Committee along with the AU Summit points to the Rwandan experience as evidence that open borders would enhance security rather than compromise. We've gathered leaders.
Nnenna Nwabufo, vice president of regional development, integration and business delivery for the African Development Bank Group, has expressed the bank's continued commitment to helping accelerate visa-free movement across the continent.
“We're doing that because of our promise to change Africa and create prosperity,” she pointed out. “In fact, the goals of the New Decade Strategy (2024-2033) are designed around seizing Africa's opportunities for a thriving, inclusive, resilient and integrated continent.”
In his keynote speech, Albert Machanga, the African Union Commissioner's Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals Commissioner, outlined four priority areas to open the continent.
These include liberalizing movements of categories of people important to trade in goods and services, and implementing a strategic framework for key actions to achieve comprehensive growth and sustainable development in Africa. , including economic integration in Africa, particularly moving on to the next stage of the African Common Market. As envisaged under the Abuja Convention of 1991, whether it is a soft or hard infrastructure, appropriate promotion measures will be established to promote the free movement of people.
Commissioner Machanga highlighted the need to further advance several continental projects, such as the African expressways (from Cairo to Cape and from Dakar to Mombasa) to promote free movement of people.
For Africans to announce “The Status of Play in the Visa-Free Movement in Africa,” featuring the findings of the latest version of the African Abyssa Open Index, the leading regional integration coordinator of the African Development Bank's Regional Integration Coordinator, the African Development Bank's Office of Regional Integration Coordination, the latest version of the African Abyssa Open Index, published by the African Development Bank's “Place of Play in the Visa-Free Movement” Progress made by several countries in opening borders.
The presentation reports that 39 African countries have improved their scores since 2016, indicating that visa openness across Africa is at the highest level since the index began. Despite this exciting trajectory, it has been observed that there is still plenty of room for advancement to promote unlimited mobility among Africans within the continent.
Sebahij, a cautious minister of the Rwandan trade industry, shared his country's experience and economic interests from implementing a visa-free government.
“Rwanda disagrees with the usual excuses for the security threats that come with visa-free debate, as it is important to invest in systems, security, governance and surveillance,” he declared.
“Ultimately, people traveling for tourism and business always use official channels such as borders and airports, which are the issues of smuggling and illegal transition, as the policy itself cannot contribute to security concerns. It means to solve the problem.”
The event featured a roundtable where African policymakers and business leaders shared insights into implementing visa-free moves across the continent. Chido Mpemba, youth envoy of the African Union, stressed the experience of youth interconnectedness through social media and the Internet through calls for action. She noted that this is important for building the social and cultural integration needed to create a shared African identity.
This session will be a joint announcement of the 2025 Visa-free Roadshow by Dr. Joy Kateggekwa, director of the African Development Bank Group's Regional Integration Coordination Bureau, and Dr. Savero Mbokaj, Head of Employment for Employment, Labor and Migration It concluded with a joint announcement by. African Union Committee.
This roadshow will maintain and mobilize the advocacy for openness and free movement within Africa's broader regional integration agenda to provide better results for all Africans. It's the purpose.
