President Akufo-Addo says the process of granting Africans free visas to visit Ghana has started. At the Africa Prosperity Dialogue at Peduase in the Eastern region, he assured the gathering that the visa-free regime for all Africans, would be implemented before he leaves office on January 7, 2025.
On paper, Africa has everything that could make every African prosperous. But in reality, prosperity can be likened to a distant relative that lives far away in other regions of the world including Europe, the Americas, Australia, the Middle East and Asia. With 65 percent of the world’s arable land that could feed the 9 billion people on the planet coupled with the most youthful population, Africa stands on the verge of becoming a global powerhouse but this can be realised when industrialization and intra-Africa trade is bolstered to over 50 percent as against the current figure of 17 percent.
And to the organizers of the Africa Prosperity Dialogue, the days of just talking about prosperity are over, and now is the time to provide a platform to spark the fire that will drive both governments and the private sector to implement the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area. A goal that sits well with the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Mr. Wamkele Mene.
Former President of Mozambique, Mr. Joachim Chissano said it is Africans who will shape the narrative of the continent’s future and urged all to work with AfCFTA, which aims at promoting trade facilitation. On adding value to what is produced in Africa, the President of Igire Coffee, Madam Briggette Harrington said about 50 billion dollars of raw materials leave the shores of Africa annually but these commodities are sent back to the continent processed and are worth a whopping 500 billion dollars.
President Akufo-Addo said to unlock the full potential of trade for prosperity, Africa should prioritize the development of efficient transportation and logistics, streamline trade processes and accept digital technology that facilitate cross border transactions without the need to depend on foreign currency. He announced that Ghana will soon roll out a visa free regime for all Africans who want to visit the country.
This is the second time the Africa Prosperity Dialogue is being held, the brain child of the African Prosperity Network.
