If I were to describe the dynamic on visa free mobility over the 10 years of production of the Africa Visa Openness Index, I would say, ‘Full of promise but in need of accelerated action.’
Africans move, and do so mostly in Africa. It is here that most Africans see the opportunity for their dreams to actualize. And it is here that we must facilitate, with more vigour, the pace of visa-free mobility. A visa-free Africa is good economic policy. Our Africa today must be driven by trade and industry and at the heart of success is the ability of Africans to move to where they are needed. To where the opportunity lies. The AfCFTA is for people. Its’ value is in creating opportunities for Africans within the continent, in goods, services, investment, intellectual property, and more. The presumption inherent herein is that Africans can reach those opportunities.
This is the true ethos of regional integration: That because collective action is required to harness Africa’s opportunities, we must then work together to actualize the possibility.
Getting there is not impossible. It will take creativity and innovation, building and learning from those African countries that took the leap to grant visa-free access to fellow African citizens, and understanding the systems they have created to manage border movement and anticipate challenges, while managing, rather than avoiding, risk. Here, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have a lot to teach us - given that movement within some of them is “rights” based - extending to the depth of entry, residence and establishment. How are they managing? Where could things go wrong? And how can technology help us?
I close with a bold and audacious idea. What if we agreed that there should be an ‘Africazone’, much like the Schengen area? And that interested countries would simply signal and start? Could that accelerate attainment of the visa-free Africa?
For context, ten years ago (2015) we thought the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) would be attained in 2028. But, in 2015, AU Heads of State adopted a decision to fast-track creation of the CFTA. It seemed impossible then but the continent mobilized and three years later we had the AfCFTA - negotiated, signed, and open for ratification. Today, the Agreement has been in operation for five years. Can we be inspired by the same courage? To mobilize for the Africazone,we could start with the two most advanced RECs that already offer each other near full visa-free access, ECOWAS and EAC. Citizens of these two RECs could include their travel information in a data system - for transparency, not authorization…and then they let the people move…
Our continent has been built on bold ideas that scared many at the time, and seemed impossible. Could this be yet another?
I am grateful to the excellent team at the Regional Integration Coordination Office that has worked to provide the technical and analytical oversight involved in producing this report. Ms. Victoria Yetunde stands out in this regard. Thanks to Johanna Natumwa and Coulibaly Gbengbele for the data analysis, and to Eckart Naumann for writing the report. Thanks are also due to Peggy King Cointepas for her work on the design and to Andrew Benton for editing.
Dr. Joy Kategekwa
Director
Regional Integration Coordination Office