The Trans-Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign, an effort to create a borderless Africa and visa-free travel throughout the continent, has the backing of the Ghanaian government.
The campaign, which got its start yesterday in Accra, is to increase awareness of African unity and the potential economic benefits of further regional integration.
The Chief of Staff, Mr. Julius Debrah, characterized the campaign as a journey to bring Africa together and advocate for the lifting of visa limitations in order to aid in the continent’s development during the launch in Accra.
He praised the organizers and sponsors for supporting this vital cause.
He claimed that the goal of bringing Africans together as a single people and expanding the market through unrestricted travel throughout the continent has the full support of the government.
“With a population of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, the continent has the potential to become one of the largest markets in the world if countries trade more among themselves and allow free movement of people,” campaigner Mr. Ras Mubarak said, characterizing the journey as one to unite Africa and push for the removal of visa restrictions.
“This journey is about urging Africans to see ourselves as one people with one destiny. It is going to take us 163 days, approximately 600 hours of driving, and 40,000 kilometres on the road. We will meet African heads of government, address the press in every country, and push for a borderless Africa,” he said.
Mr. Mubarak emphasized that Africa’s reliance on imports from outside the continent costs it a lot of chances. He referenced the 30 million-person city of Lagos, Nigeria, as an example, and claimed that if Ghana concentrated only on growing food for that market, it might generate thousands of jobs.
He claimed that although Morocco was one of the largest providers of fertilizer and Zambia produced a lot of chicken, African nations still imported these goods from Asia and Europe.
He added that although young people in Africa were in dire need of opportunities, they were constrained by visa requirements that made it simpler to travel to Europe than to other parts of Africa.
“It is more difficult for someone from Southern Africa to travel to West Africa than to travel to Turkey. This is because of visa restrictions. We want to change that,” he reiterated.
Mr. Mubarak emphasized that the public and civil society must join the call and thanked the sponsors and media for their support.
He said the continent could not wait 40 years for new graduates to find opportunities, and he asked for a schedule that was faster than the African Union’s 2063 vision of a borderless Africa.
“We want to see a borderless Africa within the next five years, and it is possible. Other regions have done it, and we can too,” he remarked.
In order to persuade states to enact visa-free policies, the campaign team will visit leaders and deliver letters throughout the continent. They will also interact with the media to promote African solidarity.
Source: newsthemegh.com