In a landmark decision, Ghana has officially implemented a policy that allows all African passport holders to enter the country without the need for a visa, outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo announced in his final state-of-the-nation address on Friday. The new visa-free travel policy, which he initially revealed last month, took effect at the beginning of the year, marking a significant step toward deeper regional integration and cooperation across Africa.
Ghana is now the fifth African nation to extend such a policy to citizens of other African countries, joining Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin. This move has been widely hailed as an important advancement for the realization of pan-African ideals and is expected to facilitate economic cooperation and people-to-people connections across the continent.
“Today, I am proud to announce the approval of visa-free access to Ghana for all African passport holders, effective from the start of this year,” Akufo-Addo told lawmakers during his last address to Parliament before stepping down next week after serving eight years in office. “This is a logical next step toward the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which has brought into being the largest trading bloc in the world,” he added, underscoring the importance of the policy in strengthening continental unity.
The introduction of this visa-free policy aligns with Ghana’s broader efforts to promote itself as a key destination for tourists, investors, and African diasporans. In 2019, President Akufo-Addo launched the “Year of Return” initiative, encouraging people of African descent from around the world to reconnect with their roots and explore business opportunities in Ghana. The initiative successfully boosted tourism and investment, laying the groundwork for further integration and economic development.

In the annual African visa-openness ranking, Ghana had already been ranked fifth last year for its progressive visa policies. Prior to this new policy, Ghana already offered visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 26 other African countries.
The move to grant visa-free access to all African passport holders is part of Ghana’s broader push to foster economic growth and regional cooperation. President Akufo-Addo emphasized that the policy reflects the growing importance of the AfCFTA, which came into force in 2021 and aims to boost intra-African trade and economic integration by reducing barriers to the movement of goods and people across the continent.
In his final speech, Akufo-Addo also reflected on his time in office, highlighting the economic challenges faced by the country, including the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the difficulties, he asserted that Ghana had made a strong recovery and was now “thriving,” with economic growth returning to pre-pandemic levels.
The outgoing president’s announcement marks a historic moment for the African continent as the removal of visa requirements for all African passport holders is seen as a key step toward achieving the goals of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a united and integrated Africa that promotes free movement and economic collaboration.
As Akufo-Addo prepares to hand over power to his successor next week, the policy on visa-free travel is likely to have lasting effects on Ghana’s role in pan-African diplomacy and its ambition to position itself as a hub for trade, investment, and tourism on the continent.