President John Dramani Mahama has left Accra for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
President Mahama, who is leading a number of engagements for the Union including Reparations, Gender and Financial Inclusion will co-host a number of high level side events during the period of the Summit.
He will also host a breakfast event on Saturday on the Accra Reset initiative dubbed ‘Addis Reckoning’.
President Mahama is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with other African Leaders and heads of multilateral organisations, and participate in an Italy- African Forum.
Also in Addis Ababa will be the First Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama, who will attend the Summit of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
President Mahama and the First Lady are expected back in Accra on Monday, 16 February.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is also in Ethiopia for the same sevent has announced that holders of the Ghanaian passport can now travel to 50 countries without visa.
This number is expected to increase in the coming days as Ghana signs more visa waiver agreements with other countries.
This was disclosed by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on the sidelines of the ongoing AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 12.
This development, the Minister believes, will expand travel opportunities and boost trade for Ghanaian businesses as it increases the country’s relevance globally.
“Expect more visa waiver agreements this year. Even within the month of March, you’ll be hearing some good news. April, some good news. May, there’ll be some good news. Expect more,” he told journalists.
He however did not mention the list of countries.
“Remember that the passport itself, many people do not know that it is now probably the most secure in terms of the security features we have. It’s now fully chip-embedded, no longer biometric, and we are ahead of so many countries,” Mr Ablakwa stressed.
At its core, a visa waiver allows citizens to travel between countries without the lengthy and often costly process of securing a visa in advance.
For Ghanaian businesses, this means easier access to new markets. Tourism also stands to grow, as reciprocal arrangements encourage more visitors into Ghana, supporting hospitality, aviation and related industries.
Citizens can travel at short notice to negotiate deals, secure partnerships and explore investment opportunities without bureaucratic delays.
Zambia s the latest country to sign a visa waiver agreement with Ghana, thus joining a growing list of countries to do so.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the move will deepen diplomacy, boost trade and open doors for citizens and businesses alike.
He however adds that demand for the passport is expected to increase, noting that security features have been enhanced to deal with fraudsters who may want to take undue advantage of the system.
