Africa’s biggest embarrassment

Africa’s richest man at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the freedom of movement on the continent:

Dangote said his vision is for the free movement of goods, services and people across the continent. “I need a visa in almost 38 countries, which means an American has more access into Africa than myself.”

Some anecdotes from some of my frustrated mobile Africans on the continent via Twitter:

@tmsruge @kachwanya I have talked myself hoarse about this. Getting around in Africa is a lot of work. And yet the foreigners just walk in.

— Aine (@Ruthaine) January 22, 2014

@kachwanya A drive for a united continent Colonial boundaries which restrict movement of citizens / goods Get rid off quickly @tmsruge

— Pablo Max (@FlyMax1) January 22, 2014

@kachwanya @tmsruge oh, and don't forget that in some places, visas to francophone ctries r processed at the French embassy!!!!!

— Peace (@peacemaso) January 22, 2014

@kachwanya @tmsruge Ethiopian friend refused access to Zanzibar recently, british wife allowed. He was deported. Both got next plane home.

— Aid ranting (@AidRanting) January 22, 2014

This is far from a comprehensive list of Africans frustrated with the inability to move around on our own continent. Probably one of the most embarrassed I’ve ever been (about being an African) applying for a visa was when I was headed to Senegal and had to go ask the French embassy(!!!!!) for permission to travel to Dakar.

As Africans, we have a lot of work to do on our continent. Primary on a 50-years-old to-do list is making sure that we and our goods have better mobility on our continent than outsiders.

It isn’t a call to curtail the movement of foreigners on the continent (especially in the face of the fact that Africans pay a heavy toll to travel OFF the continent as well) – rather that if we are ever to continue or accelerate the current pace of development, we need to classify each other as central to that development and accordingly afforded freedom of movement.

It is a glaring embarrassment to the AU that the continent’s poster boy for what you can accomplish on the continent needs permission to move around his own back yard.

via What Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote told the World Economic Forum in Davos.