Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he was once prevented from travelling to an African country to deliver a lecture because he did not have a visa.
Obasanjo made the disclosure in a video shared by Arise TV while speaking at an event where he discussed the legacy of slavery and efforts to promote easier movement between African countries.
He expressed concern over visa restrictions within the continent, describing the removal of such barriers as an important step towards achieving free movement among African nations.
Obasanjo, Mahama Push for Easier Movement Across Africa
The former Nigerian leader said he had worked with Ghanaian President John Mahama to encourage African countries to remove visa requirements for citizens of other African nations.
According to Obasanjo, they identified about 25 African countries that already operated visa-on-arrival arrangements and proposed that those countries should allow citizens from participating nations to travel freely among themselves.
He said the plan was to begin with the countries willing to adopt the arrangement and gradually expand it to cover the entire continent within a few years.
Obasanjo described the proposal as part of broader efforts to improve regional integration and make movement across Africa easier.
Former President Questions Effectiveness of African Passport
Obasanjo also expressed disappointment over the African passport, saying that although he and some serving African leaders had received the document, it was not recognised in many places and could not be used effectively for international travel.
He argued that removing visa restrictions among African countries would help advance the goal of free movement across the continent.
Recalling his personal experience with visa restrictions, Obasanjo said:
“I have been stopped from going to give a lecture in an African country because they said I didn’t have a visa.”
His comments have renewed attention on longstanding discussions about visa policies, regional integration and the movement of people across African borders.
