H.E. Amb. Amma Twum, Commissioner at the African Union Commission (AUC), has called for urgent action to implement the “Make Africa Borderless Now” campaign, describing it as a historic initiative that strengthens the African Union’s integration agenda and advances Agenda 2063 aspirations.
Speaking at the Presidential & Business Leaders’ Dialogue on Day Three of the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD), held under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade”, Amb. Twum said that free movement of people is the foundation for continental integration, inclusive growth, and shared prosperity. The dialogue took place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Friday, 6 February 2026.
“A continent cannot trade freely if its people cannot move freely,” she said, stressing that while Africa is closer than ever to becoming a single market of over 1.4 billion people, unnecessary restrictions continue to slow entrepreneurs, stifle opportunities, and make Africans feel foreign in their own continent.
Amb. Twum explained that Africa was never meant to be a continent defined by borders, but one of movement, and that the campaign could accelerate integration by complementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). “Goods do not cross borders alone. People carry them. Services do not scale without skills. Investment does not flow without mobility. A single market without free movement is a marketplace with locked doors,” she said.
The Commissioner also highlighted the gender dimension, urging the removal of barriers for women traders, who she described as the backbone of cross-border trade. “A borderless Africa means safer journeys, formalized enterprises, expanded markets, and increased incomes. When we remove barriers for women, we remove barriers to Africa’s growth,” she said, stressing the need for youth mobility to provide opportunities within the continent rather than forcing risky journeys abroad.
Amb. Twum outlined the path to implementation, calling not only for the ratification of the Free Movement Protocol but also its domestication through harmonised policies, simplified border procedures, and coordinated national and regional execution. She warned that a borderless Africa is not optional, arguing that regions that open responsibly grow faster, innovate more, and prosper broadly.
Using vivid examples, the Commissioner encouraged attendees to imagine an Africa where innovators, SMEs, and women entrepreneurs operate seamlessly across borders—from Lagos to Accra to Addis Ababa. She reminded participants of the founding mission of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, which sought to transcend borders rather than preserve them. “Africa’s borders may define our states, but they must never limit our future,” she declared.
Amb. Twum concluded with a call to action, insisting that achieving a borderless Africa is not easy, but necessary. “This is the generation that refused to pass the burden of unity to the next. We are the generation that finished the journey,” she affirmed.
The Make Africa Borderless Now campaign, supported by the African Union, aims to accelerate the implementation of free movement protocols, enabling citizens, entrepreneurs, and SMEs to fully harness the economic potential of a united African market.
