By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone has been ranked 33rd in the second year in a row in the African Development Bank’s regional ranking of ease in traveling – the Visa Openness for Africa Index.
The report, which is done by the AfDB in conjunction with the African Union Commission, assesses 54 countries on the continent for their efforts in making traveling to them by fellow Africans easy. It measures how open African countries are when it comes to visa issuance. It looks at what they ask of citizens from other countries in Africa when they travel.
The Index tracks changes in country scores over time to show which countries are making improvements that support freer movement of people across Africa.
According to the Bank, the 2019 index shows a win for the continent as 47 countries improved or maintained their visa openness scores in 2019.
For the first time, on average, Africans can travel to approximately 27 countries visa-free or with a visa on arrival, the report reveals. It also shows that for the first time African travelers have liberal access to over half the continent.
The report was launched on Monday on the sidelines of the Africa Investment Forum, which opened in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Island nation Seychelles and Benin remain the top two countries on visa openness in Africa, with their visa-free policy for all African visitors.
Gambia Tanzania Ethiopia Djibouti Somalia Madagascar Comoros Kenya Mauritius Mozambique Mauritania Togo
In the top 10 countries are Senegal, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda and Guinea Bissau. There are also Cabo Verde, Togo, Mauritania, and Mozambique.
Sierra Leone was ranked 33rd, the same position it had in the 2018 edition. It beat countries like South Africa at 35 and Liberia at 37.
This is the fourth edition of the Index.
The report’s author said progress on visa openness in Africa follows growing momentum for greater integration between countries and signals that policymakers across the continent are pushing reforms, making it easier for African businessmen and women, investors, students and tourists to travel.
This means that Africans travelling to these countries no longer need a visa to do so. In 2016, such was only possible for a fifth of the continent.
Currently, 21 African countries also offer eVisas to make travel more accessible, up from up from 16 in 2018, 13 in 2017, and 9 in 2016.
The 2019 top performers on visa openness rank among the top countries for foreign direct investment in Africa, and benefit from strong levels of growth, including in tourism, according to the report.
African Development Bank President, Akinwumi A. Adesina, while praising the improvement, said more work needed to be done.
“Our work on the Africa Visa Openness Index continues to monitor how Africa is doing on free movement of people. Progress is being made but much still needs to be done. To integrate Africa, we should bring down the walls. The free movement of people, and especially labour mobility, are crucial for promoting investments,” he said.
The African Development Bank Group is the continent’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).
The Bank is present in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan.
The AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.
The Visa Openness Index has inspired reforms in more than 10 African countries including Ghana, Benin, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Kenya, unlocking tremendous potential for the promotion of intra-regional tourism, trade and investments.
And according to the report, despite the gains, there is the need to move further.
In 2019, only 26% of Africans are able to get visas on arrival in other African countries, up by only 1% compared to 2016.
“Countries need to make more progress on visa regimes, including introducing visas-on-arrival. By breaking down borders, Africa will be able to capitalize on gains from regional integration initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Single African Air Transport Market, and the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons,” the report authors wrote.
“It cannot be stressed enough how crucial integration is for the development of the continent and the fulfilment of its people’s aspiration to well-being. I congratulate those member states that have taken measures to ease the procedures for the entry of African nationals into their territories, and urge those that have not yet done so to join this growing momentum,” said Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
© 2019 Politico Online
