In a landmark move announced by President Akufo-Addo, Ghana has eliminated visa requirements for all African passport holders effective January 1, 2025, becoming the fifth African nation to adopt this open-door policy after Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia and Benin.
Effective 1 January, 2025, all African passport holders will be able to visit Ghana without needing a visa.
The announcement was made on Friday, 4 January by outgoing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his final State of the Nation Address.
"I am proud to have approved visa-free travel to Ghana for all African passport holders, with effect from the beginning of this year," he said before a crowd of lawmakers.
Ghana is now the fifth African country to adopt such a policy, joining Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia and Benin.
Speaking on the significance of this move, the President said, “This is the logical next step for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the workings of the largest trading bloc in the world. All these are essential elements for the realization of the AU'S Agenda 2063, which envisions an integrated and connected Africa by 2063."
Ghana has been at the forefront of promoting travel & tourism within the Black diaspora, launching a successful ‘Year of Return’ drive in 2019, a year-long programme of activities to mark 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the US and encourage tourism from the descendants of the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The country has reported a year-on-year rise in foreign visits since 2019.
The 2024 annual African rankings of visa-openness placed Ghana fifth last year, owing to its visa-free travel offerings to citizens of 26 continental countries, including Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
In the snowy peaks of Davos, where the world’s most powerful leaders gather for the 56th World Economic Forum, a new narrative is emerging that chal...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that Türkiye opposes any form of foreign intervention in I...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivered a broad defence of the thousands of federal agents leading an aggressive immigration enforcement operation in M...
Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian officials are meeting in Abu Dhabi on Friday (23 January) for their first-ever trilateral talks on the nearly four-year-lo...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 23th of January, covering the latest developments you need to ...
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has announced that Germany will provide Ghana with €65 million (approximately $69 million) in development assistance.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo with immediate effect, following the outcome of an investigation into alleged misconduct, the presidency announced on Monday.
Ghana is in mourning after a military helicopter crashed in the southern Ashanti region, killing two cabinet ministers and six others. The government called it a national tragedy and has launched an investigation into the cause.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has called for reparations over slavery and colonisation, urging global recognition of Africa’s historical injustices and dignity.
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic home win in Baku.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow could pay $1 billion from Russian assets frozen abroad to secure permanent membership in President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Board of Peace’.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States has an "armada" heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.
A commuter train collided with a construction crane in southeastern Spain on Thursday (22 January), injuring several passengers, days after a high-speed rail disaster in Andalusia killed at least 43 people.
“I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the U.S.,” US President Donald Trump told the World Economic Forum. During his Wednesday (21 January) address, he once more cited national security concerns as the reason for wanting to own the Arctic island.
Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday (20 January) after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.
A railway power outage in Tokyo disrupted the morning commute for roughly 673,000 passengers on Friday (16 January) as two main lines with some of the world's busiest stations were halted after reports of a fire.
Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Flights have resumed at the Edinburgh airport following a period of cancellations due to an IT issue with its air traffic control provider.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued a formal advisory urging Chinese tourists to refrain from travelling to Japan in the near future, citing growing safety risks and recent political tensions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment