Cotonou, Benin//-Ras Mubarak and seven other visa-free across Africa campaigners have arrived in Cotonou, Benin and are currently heading to Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
The eight Ghanaian nationals who are members of Trans Africa Tourism and Campaign are touring across 39 African countries to campaign for a visa-free African continent by 2030.
The campaign and tour led by former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu in the Northern Region of Ghana, Ras Mubarak, which took off in Accra on Monday, August 18, would cover a distance of 40,000 kilometres over 163 days.
According to information reaching African Eye Report, all the participants and their vehicles on the tour are in good condition.
In Cotonou, the team was welcomed by the Béninois. Members of the Trans Africa Tourism and Campaign also addressed the media in that West African country.
Eryk Kwesi Agyapong, Media Liaison Officer, Trans African Tourism & Unity Campaign, said: “So far it’s been good, we had a good reception by our officials at the embassy in Togo, we equally got a reception in Benin”.
We’ve visited some tourist sites so far in Benin, he stated.
Mr Agyapong also added that the Trans African Tourism & Unity Campaign team is currently Meeting with the senior minister of the Republic of Benin to present a message of peace to the government.
Speaking before the team began the historic journey which started in Lome, Togo, Campaign Leader, Ras Mubarak, said: “This journey is going to take us 163 days, approximately 600 hours of driving or 40,000 kilometres on the road. We will meet with African Heads of Government and address the press in every country we pass through”, he added.
Mr Mubarak explained that apart from the visa-free travel advocacy, the campaigners are also pushing for a single African currency and a borderless continent.
Such steps, according to Ras Mubarak, would significantly strengthen Africa’s economic prospects as well as employment for the teeming African youth.
He said: “Our goal is to urge African leaders to adopt one currency, work toward a borderless Africa, and appreciate the enormous impact this will have on our people”.
The Trans Africa Tourism and Campaign is designed not only to advocate for visa-free travel across the continent, but also to engage directly with African leaders and citizens.
Along the route, the team will present letters to Heads of Government, urging them to implement policies that support free movement.
They will also host press conferences, cultural showcases, and stakeholder dialogues to highlight the economic and social benefits of an integrated Africa.
Ghana’s Chief of Staff, Julius Deborah, who performed a media launch ahead of the departure, lauded the historic tour and advised the participants to be vigilant during their journey.
While the campaign is a superb effort to unite Africa through tourism and integration, security must remain a top priority, Mr Deborah said.
“I just drew their attention that security is the most important thing because there are bad people all over the world. As much as possible, they should spend the night within towns. Usually, when you spend too much time in the bush, it is risky”.
Instructively, the campaign is endorsed by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and proudly supported by a coalition of partners committed to Africa’s development: Office of the Chief of Staff of Ghana, Afrimex Gold, National Investment Bank, Ghana Gold Board, GLICO Insurance, GNPC, Telecel Ghana, National Lottery Authority, Delcielo Optical Services, Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Stanbic Bank Ghana, Pan African Progressive Front, Africans Rising, and Radisson Blu Brazzaville.
These partners provide expertise in finance, insurance, energy, telecommunications, hospitality, and civil society, ensuring the campaign’s impact and sustainability.