The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF) warned on May 11, 2026 that Africa’s integration ambitions are being undermined by slow political action on free movement, as a new report revealed that only four of the continent’s 55 nations have ratified the African Union’s (AU) 2018 Free Movement of Persons Protocol.
Released to coincide with the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, the report titled Africa on the Move: Boosting Mobility and Connectivity examines why Africans face more restrictions travelling within their own continent than leaving it. The findings present a detailed account of how regulatory, physical, and financial barriers continue to suppress trade, migration, and economic growth across a landmass more than seven times the size of the European Union (EU).
The ratification gap tells its own story. Mali, Niger, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe stand as the only countries that have formally committed to the Protocol, while concerns over security, public opinion, and reciprocity have stalled broader political will. The consequence is stark: only 28% of African citizens can enter fellow African countries without a visa, leaving the majority reliant on costly and time-consuming travel arrangements that cut against the continent’s stated integration goals.
The economics of fragmentation carry a heavy price tag. The continent loses approximately $5 billion every year to currency conversion costs alone, a direct result of limited currency convertibility that slows trade transactions between African nations. Against this backdrop, the report projects that full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could boost intra-continental trade from its current level of around 18% to 53%, grow the manufacturing sector by $1 trillion, and create 14 million jobs by 2035.
Physical infrastructure tells a similarly incomplete story. Africa’s transport networks were historically built to move raw commodities outbound, not to connect its own people and markets. Roads remain the dominant mode of transport but are frequently discontinuous and dangerous. Railway systems suffer from outdated technology, limited interoperability between countries, and costs too high for most passengers and freight operators. At least 13 countries, home to roughly 17% of the continent’s population, still have no direct rail connection to a seaport, a particular burden for landlocked nations.
Air travel is growing but remains among the most expensive in the world relative to distance, and most routes continue to funnel through external hubs. The report identifies Africa’s river network as a largely neglected asset that could serve as an affordable freight corridor if developed systematically.
“Africa will not harness its potential while mobility is restricted,” said Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
The report acknowledges increased infrastructure investment from global partners, pointing to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the EU’s Global Gateway programme, which has identified 55 strategic corridors across the continent. However, it flags that much of this investment still prioritises outbound connectivity, reproducing the commodity-export model rather than building internal integration. Climate resilience also remains a gap: infrastructure funded through carbon-intensive industries such as steel and cement faces growing exposure to climate-related disruption.
The MIF called on African governments to accelerate ratification of free movement commitments and expand harmonisation of educational and professional qualifications, which currently prevent skilled workers from moving freely across borders. Beyond political declarations, the foundation emphasised that implementation must close the gap between agreed frameworks and on-the-ground reality.
For Ghana and West Africa, where the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) free movement framework has long been considered a regional model, the report serves as both validation and a challenge to go further. Structural barriers in professional recognition, currency convertibility, and transport interoperability continue to limit the practical benefits of existing agreements.
