The president who identified free movement as one of the barriers hindering free movement in Africa said Nigeria has already taken strategic decisions to bring down the barriers.
He stated this while speaking on Wednesday during the opening session of the ongoing Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, taking place in Egypt.
“We in Nigeria have already taken the strategic decision to bring down barriers that have hindered the free movement of our people within the continent by introducing the issuance of visa at the point of entry into Nigeria to all persons holding passports of African countries with effect from January 2020.”
“We should furthermore promote free trade within and amongst Africa and Africans especially now that we have launched the African Free Trade Area Agreement,” he said.
In a statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President, (Media and Publicity), the Nigerian leader also urged Africa to take its destiny in its own hands by minimising reliance on donor funding for the execution of its vital peace, security and development agenda.
African nations are loosening their visa regimes
In a 2019 Africa Visa Openness Index, visa-free entry has gradually gone up to 25% from only 20% in 2016 as African travelers have more access to over half the continent for the first time in history.
The report, published by the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank, revealed that African nations are now loosening their visa regimes.
In Africa, countries like Seychelles and Benin remain the top-performing countries, offering visa-free access to over 50 Africans countries.
