Leaders and policymakers have renewed calls for the removal of travel and mobility barriers across Africa, warning that fragmented visa regimes and weak connectivity continue to undermine the continent’s economic integration agenda.

The message was delivered at the African Air Transport Convention & Expo 2026, held in Lomé, Togo, where high-level discussions focused on how aviation and mobility reforms can accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking at a high-level roundtable at the event, AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene said Africa’s trade ambitions cannot be fully realised without easier movement of businesspersons across borders.

He explained that the focus is not on permanent migration, but on facilitating temporary travel for entrepreneurs to conduct business across African countries without unnecessary visa delays.

“We are not talking about permanent residence. We are talking about letting an African entrepreneur travel to another country, do business, and return home — without queuing for a visa,” he stated.

The discussions in Lomé centred on the need to align aviation policy with Africa’s single-market agenda, with stakeholders arguing that improved air connectivity is essential to unlocking intra-African trade.

Participants also stressed that the success of the AfCFTA depends not only on tariff reduction but also on practical reforms that support the free movement of people involved in trade and investment.

The event also highlighted ongoing efforts to operationalise the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which seeks to liberalise air services and improve connectivity across the continent.

Delegates warned that without stronger coordination between trade and aviation policies, Africa’s integration drive risks being slowed by persistent structural and regulatory bottlenecks.

Africa must remove travel barriers to unlock AfCFTA benefits – Wamkele Mene

Suggested for you

More Stories

Accra Institute of Technology admits 586 new students for 2025/2026 academic year

Forest Workers Demand Police Catch Those Who Attacked Babatokuma Checkpoint

GoldBod, Army and Forest Commission Launch National Land Project to Fix Our Land

Ghana Boundary Commission begins African Border Day with water project for Bawku West

Mfantsiman Old Girls Association to hold nationwide health walk on June 27

Ghana and Burkina Faso Renew Efforts to Confirm Shared Border

Discussion