The free movement of people in Africa is a cornerstone of regional integration and the world’s largest free-trade market, the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Africa Visa Openness Index is helping make free movement a reality.
The High 5s for Africa drive the Bank’s work across the continent.
These focus areas are consistent with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are essential to transforming the Africans’ lives.
Regional integration is key to Africa’s prosperity. To create larger, more attractive markets and boost intra-African trade, though, mobility is essential. When liberal visa policies allow businesspeople and traders to move freely across the continent, increased investments and fresh skills follow. As the range of goods and services expands, prosperity grows.
To better deliver on its strategic objective to “Integrate Africa,” the African Development Bank has developed a regional integration strategic framework that focuses on building regional infrastructure, financing intra-African trade and investment, and facilitating the movement of people across borders. The Africa Visa Openness Index is helping make this framework a reality.
