Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
LEADER of the Trans African Tourism and Unity Campaign, Mr Ras Mubarak, has called on Nigeria to lead the continent in adopting visa-free travel and said restrictive entry policies continue to block tourism growth and economic integration.
Mr Mubarak, whose campaign team arrived in Abuja on August 22 as part of a 40 000-kilometre journey through 39 African countries, said the continent must urgently remove colonial-era barriers that divide Africa.
“Our mission is clear: to dismantle the visa barriers that fragment our continent, stifle tourism, and hinder the free movement of 1.4 billion Africans,” he said, in a statement.
Mr Mubarak said Abuja, which is also home to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was a strategic platform for the campaign to push its message under the slogans #OpenAfrica and #OpenOpportunities.
“We call on Nigeria, a giant of our continent, to lead by example—expanding visa-on-arrival policies, simplifying mobility protocols and championing the AU’s Free Movement Protocol,” he said.
Mr Mubarak added that Abuja’s urban planning and green environment should serve as a model for other African cities.
“Abuja is not just Nigeria’s capital—it is a beacon of what Africa can achieve when we embrace order, sustainability, and pride in our shared heritage,” Mr Mubarak said.
He urged Nigeria to position itself as a gateway for intra-African tourism.
“You are renowned for your vibrant energy—use it to tell the world of Abuja’s beauty, its markets, its culture. Let us make Nigeria a gateway for tourism, driving economic growth and unity,” he said.
The Trans African Tourism and Unity Campaign is collecting signatures for a petition demanding a visa-free Africa by 2030.
“As we depart Abuja for the next leg of our journey, we urge Africans to join us in building a continent where we move as one, trade as one, and dream as one,” Mr Mubarak said.
