Nigerian billionaire investor Aliko Dangote highlighted the hurdles Africans face traveling within their continent at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda on May 17.
Dangote noted the intercontinental travel struggles for Africans during the annual summit’s “Presidential Panel.” The successful entrepreneur, Africa’s wealthiest man, said he needed 35 visas to travel within the continent he’s from. Based on his own experience, Dangote highlighted how the issue was problematic and inconvenient. The 67-year-old president and CEO of the Dangote Group was accompanied on stage by moderator Larry Madowo and fellow panelist, Total Energies CEO Patrick Pouyanné of France.
“As an investor, as someone who wants to make Africa great, I have to apply for 35 different visas on my passport,” Dangote said. “I really don’t have the time to go and drop off my passport in embassies to get a visa.”
“I can assure you that Patrick doesn’t need 35 visas on a French passport, which means you [Patrick] have freer movement than myself in Africa,” the billionaire continued.
Which African Countries Allow Visa-Free Access To African Nationals?
During the forum, Dangote spotlighted Rwanda, Benin, Gambia, and Seychelles for providing visa-free access to Africans. Rwanda is the latest to grant visa-free access to Africans without harboring them with excessive fees.
Which Country Has The Most Powerful Passport In Africa?
According to VisaGuide.World’s 2024 Passport Index, the most “powerful” African passport is that of Seychelles. The country is Africa’s smallest, and it’s an island republic located in the Indian Ocean. More directly, it’s northeast of Madagascar and southeast of mainland East Africa.
As far as what it means to be powerful, the Seychellois passport allows visa-free travel to 124 countries worldwide. That versatility and flexibility rank the country 64th out of 199 on VisaGuide.World’s index.
Some of the other most powerful African passports currently are those of Mauritius, South Africa, and Botswana.
