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Ghana and Zambia have agreed to introduce visa-free travel for citizens of both countries, officials said.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama is on a three-day state visit to Zambia, where he was received by President Hakainde Hichilema.
The visit aims to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.
The visa waiver agreement will allow citizens of Ghana and Zambia to travel to each other’s countries without visas.
The agreement was the first of its kind between a West African and a Southern African nation.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the agreement was finalised after last-minute discussions between officials of both countries.
Ablakwa said Zambian authorities had earlier raised concerns about differences in passport categories, but the issue was resolved following consultations between the two governments.
“I’m told that it was because we have three kinds of passports, they (Zambia) have only two, diplomatic and then ordinary passports, so they didn’t see how, they say we are not aligned because we have diplomatic, service and ordinary passports,” Ablakwa said.
“But we told them there’s a presidential directive. If you want our president to be here and you want his wishes to be granted, then you have to make sure that we reach this deal.
“And at 11:30 PM last night, they reached out to their president and he said, ‘If it’s my brother’s wish, I’m going to grant you.’ So, we have the visa waiver agreement.”
The start date for the visa-free travel has not yet been announced.
Ghana is among a small group of African countries that allow visa-free entry for all African nationals. With the latest agreement, Ghana now has bilateral visa-free arrangements with 15 African countries since Mahama returned to office in January 2025.
Other African countries that currently offer visa-free entry to all Africans include Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia and Benin.
The agreement comes as African governments continue efforts to ease travel restrictions and promote trade, tourism and regional integration across the continent, though progress has been uneven.
