Making Africa more mobile

Africans need to make a conscious effort towards seeing themselves as one people. They need to do away with the physical and invisible barriers that have been a stumbling block to achieving the Agenda 2063 flagship project which is: The African Passport and Free Movement of People. This project aims at doing away with restrictions on Africans ability to travel, work and live within their own continent. The goal of this project is to transform the laws of Africa, which remain generally restrictive on movement of people despite political commitments to bring down borders. When this is done, it will result in promoting the issuance of visas by member states to enhance free movement of all African citizens in all African countries.

Based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association, the organisation that represents the interests of airlines globally, the Henley’s Passport Index for 2024 has been released. In the report, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, which are European Union States, have joined Singapore and Japan to be among the most powerful passports in the world. Their citizens are able to visit 194 out of 227 countries in the world visa free. The Henley’s Passport Index ranks all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

With increasing travel demand, the global mobility gap between those at the top and those at the bottom of the Henley’s Passport Index has become wider. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says:  “The average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, as we enter the new year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa.”

As the aviation industry expects traffic to double by 2040, experts are requesting that airports leverage on technology to improve on the airport experience and ensure seamless travel. Further, award-winning journalist and author, Misha Glenny says: “In 2024, 40 countries making up over 50% of global GDP will undergo decisive elections, including the US and several other major powers. Political trends point to a lack of geopolitical coordination heightening the risk of prospective shocks to an already precarious economic environment. The general trend, however, remains steady. A decline in American and European influence and a jostling for power among the Asian big boys.”

A look at geopolitical coordination calls to mind Aspiration 2 of Agenda 2063 that looks forward to:  “An integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance” and Aspiration 5 which envisions “An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values and ethics”.  In evaluating the performance of Africa from the Index, award-winning author and journalist, Justice Malala said:  “Kenya and Rwanda are the first major political and economic powers to offer completely visa-free access to international and continental visitors. Their no-visa policies breathe new life into the AU’s attempts to bring about free movement of goods, services, capital, and the continent’s 1.4 billion people.”

There are many benefits to be derived from working conscientiously towards the goal of free movement across Africa such as increased intra-Africa trade, commerce and tourism, making easier labour mobility, intra – Africa knowledge and skills transfer, boosting pan-African identity, social integration and tourism and also facilitating the improvement on trans-border infrastructure and shared development.

There is still hope for Africa to leapfrog. The Henley’s Index may have located Africa among those at the bottom but all hope is not lost for the continent – Africans love to travel, they are hospitable and they have a young population.

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