by Agency Reporter
President Uhuru Kenyatta
The
African Development Bank says it will support visa-free travels in
Africa to enhance regional economic integration across the continent.
This was contained in a statement by the
Nigeria country office of the bank, issued on Thursday in Abuja and made
available to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The statement said that the AfDB
President, Dr. Donald Keberuka, and business mogul, Aliko Dangote,
alongside two African leaders, pressed for the initiative at the ongoing
World Economic Summit in Abuja.
The statement named the two African leaders as President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta.
It said that the initiative was a call to
action for regional integration to promote travels across the continent
by easing visa constraints.
It quoted Kaberuka as saying, “The
African Development Bank strongly supports the initiative as a key
component of its commitment to enhancing regional integration across
Africa.”
According to the statement, easing visa
constraints and removing other unnecessary barriers will contribute to
boosting the continent’s economies.
“True integration will take place only if
people are able to move freely across the continent, and leaders need
to take action to make this happen,” the statement added.
It quoted Kenyatta as stating that lack
of political will and negative perception should not be allowed to
undermine Africa’s integration and economic growth.
The statement also quoted the Chief
Economist, AfDB, Mthuli Ncube, as saying that Nigeria, Kenya and South
Africa should synergise and drive inclusive growth on the continent.
According to the statement, Ncube spoke
as a panellist on the topic: ‘Driving competitiveness through
cooperation, integration and economic growth’.
Ncube said if the three
countries could work together, it would dramatically reduce the average
poverty rate in the Africa region.
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