Togo has granted visa-free entry to all African citizens holding valid national passports, effective immediately, after a public embarrassment at the Biashara Afrika 2026 forum in Lomé exposed the gulf between the continent’s free trade ambitions and the reality facing African travellers at its own borders.
The incident that triggered the announcement involved two Nigerian businessmen who were denied entry to Togo at Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport using their Nigerian passports and were forced to use European passports to enter the country, requesting 24-hour visas on arrival. The episode was raised directly at the forum’s opening session by Nigeria’s trade minister, who described the situation as indefensible in the context of a continental free trade summit.
“I ask the Minister of Security to resolve this anomaly within 48 hours,” Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé said publicly, drawing applause from delegates.
The government moved faster than the deadline. By Monday evening, Security Minister Colonel Calixte Batossie Madjoulba issued a communiqué announcing that Togo would exempt citizens of all African states from entry visas for stays of up to 30 days, with the decision taking effect the same day and applying to all land, air and maritime entry points.
Gnassingbé had referred to “shortcomings” during the summit opening before instructing the minister of security to resolve the anomaly within 48 hours. The visa-free measure was framed as reflecting Togo’s stated ambition to position Lomé as a regional hub for services, business, culture and cross-border exchange.
The incident illustrated a persistent contradiction at the heart of Africa’s integration agenda. While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aims to create a single continental market of 1.4 billion people, non-tariff barriers including visa restrictions, border delays and documentation requirements continue to frustrate the movement of African traders and investors across the continent’s internal boundaries.
Gnassingbé also acknowledged broader trade infrastructure failures, noting that logistics costs in West Africa remain among the highest in the world, non-tariff barriers persist and border delays continue to slow commerce.
Ghana, positioned as both a major AfCFTA member and a trade partner in the West African corridor linking Togo, Benin and Nigeria, stands to benefit directly from improved border procedures and free movement across the region as implementation of the trade agreement accelerates.
