Travel security protocols to remain in place for all Africans – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says all Africans travelling to Ghana will continue to undergo strict security checks despite the removal of visa fees.

Launching Ghana’s first fully digital electronic visa portal in Accra, President Mahama said the country’s decision to waive visa fees for African travellers would not compromise national security or border control measures.

“Africans will continue to undergo all the necessary vetting and due diligence. The financial barrier for all African travel has been removed,” he stated.

The President added that while Ghana was making travel easier for Africans, authorities would maintain strict immigration procedures to ensure order and effective border management.

“What remains intact is our commitment to security, order and effective border management,” President Mahama said to applause from invited guests and government officials attending the launch ceremony.

The rollout of the e-Visa portal coincided with this year’s celebration of Africa Day and marks a major shift in Ghana’s immigration administration, replacing the largely manual visa processing system with a fully online platform.

Under the new arrangement, all African passport holders travelling to Ghana for business or tourism can apply for and secure their visas online free of charge before arrival.

The new digital system also replaces the previous visa-on-arrival process for African nationals, which required manual approval procedures at ports of entry.

President Mahama described the initiative as part of a broader vision to strengthen continental integration and reconnect people of African descent with Ghana.

“Our long-term vision is even broader. We are envisaging a future, I believe it isn’t far off, where all people of African descent can return and travel to Ghana without paying visa fees as they reconnect with their ancestral home,” he said.

The portal is expected to reduce processing delays, improve efficiency within the immigration system and enhance monitoring of travellers entering the country.

The digital platform forms part of Ghana’s wider effort to modernise public services through technology while positioning the country as a leading destination for trade, tourism and cultural exchange within Africa and the diaspora.