I need 38 visas to travel across Africa - Dangote laments

Traveling across the continent may be fun for persons going on vacations; however, for some business moguls and investors, it is sometimes stressful, especially when there is a need for visa application(s).

The latest to voice out this concern is Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, who bemoaned that to travel in Africa with his Nigerian passport, he needs 38 visas to give him access to his destination of choice or for business.

Speaking in an interview with Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Aliko Dangote who is also the CEO and Chairman of Dangote Group noted that the case was different for persons holding a French passport.

He questioned how he could invest without the freedom to move across Africa and beyond.

“Somebody like me needs 38 visas to move around. How do I invest now if I’m not able to move around? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“Nobody has time to keep applying for visas,” he added.

Touching on free movement of goods and services on the continent, Africa's richest man noted that the several hurdles remains a challenge.

While criticising the high cost of intra-African trade, he noted that shipping goods from Lagos to Accra can be more expensive than from Spain to Nigeria.

SA