Over 10,000 Africans have signed the petition for a Borderless Africa, reflecting strong public support for policies that could stimulate trade and regional growth. The announcement, made by Africans Rising, spotlights the economic and business potential of a truly borderless continent and shows that citizens are actively pushing for reforms to improve trade, investment, and mobility.
The petition is part of the #BorderlessAfrica campaign, which aims to accelerate the ratification and implementation of the African Union Free Movement Protocol of 2018. While the protocol was adopted nearly five years ago, progress has been slow: only four AU member states have ratified it, and nearly half of Africans still require visas to travel within the continent. This gap between political commitments and lived realities continues to limit economic activity, hinder cross-border entrepreneurship, and restrict opportunities for youth, traders, and SMEs.
The campaign notes that “free movement is not a threat to Africa’s security or sovereignty; it is a foundation for integration, shared prosperity, peace, and dignity.” The campaign emphasizes that removing visa restrictions and administrative barriers could significantly boost intra-African trade, stimulate investment, and create jobs, while reducing costs for businesses that rely on cross-border supply chains.
The petition draws support from a diverse group of Africans, including youth, traders, creatives, women, diaspora communities, and grassroots organizers, illustrating a broad-based call for economic inclusion and regional integration. Africans Rising emphasizes that this milestone is not the end, but “the beginning,” reflecting a growing public demand for mobility policies that are people-centered and gender-responsive.
Colonial-era borders imposed during the Berlin Conference have historically fragmented African communities, undermined economic growth, and weakened regional cohesion. The campaign positions free movement as a necessary first step toward reparative justice, ensuring that Africans can reclaim opportunities that were constrained for over a century.
Africans Rising calls on African citizens to continue signing and amplifying the petition, urges media institutions to elevate this people-led demand for unity, and appeals to policymakers and AU member states “to act with urgency and political courage.” The petition’s key demands include urgent ratification of the AU Free Movement Protocol, the removal of visa and administrative barriers, the establishment of people-centered and gender-responsive mobility policies, and an end to security-heavy border practices that criminalize African movement.
Facilitating freer movement of people can expand markets, improve labor mobility, reduce operational inefficiencies, and stimulate entrepreneurship. As the campaign gains traction, companies operating across borders and investors seeking to tap into Africa’s regional market will have greater opportunities to leverage a more integrated and economically dynamic continent.
The petition remains open for signatures, inviting Africans and supporters worldwide to join the initiative and advocate for reforms that could transform the continent’s economic landscape.
