We Have What They Call African Passport; I Brought It Out in One Place, And They Said, What’s This–OBJ

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the difficulties Africans face when travelling between countries on the continent, saying efforts are being made to remove visa restrictions and promote free movement.

In a video shared by Arise TV, Obasanjo spoke during an event where he discussed the legacy of slavery and the need to make travelling between African countries easier.

He explained that he had once been prevented from travelling to an African country to deliver a lecture because he did not have a visa.

According to him, he and Ghanaian President John Mahama had discussed the issue and identified about 25 African countries that practise visa on arrival. They then proposed that these countries should remove visa requirements among themselves as a first step towards allowing Africans to travel freely across the continent.

Obasanjo expressed hope that if the arrangement succeeds, the entire continent could achieve free movement within a few years.

He also questioned the usefulness of the African passport, saying that although some serving African leaders and former leaders, including himself, have one, it is not widely recognised.

He recalled presenting his African passport at a place but was asked what it was, showing that the document is not accepted in many places.

The former president described the proposed removal of visa restrictions as a major step towards achieving free movement in Africa.

In his words, “We have something they call (an) African passport. But it doesn’t work. A few African leaders, incumbents, have got it, but they cannot use it; it’s not recognized anywhere. I have it; I brought it out in one place, and they say, ‘What is this?'”