Popular Ghanaian YouTuber and travel content creator Wode Maya has renewed calls for Africans to embrace the idea of a borderless Africa, arguing that restrictive visa regimes continue to limit opportunities across the continent.
In a statement shared on social media, the award-winning storyteller said his extensive travels across Africa have shaped his conviction that Africans should be able to move more freely within their own continent.
The content creator revealed that he has visited 39 African countries, experiences he says exposed him to the realities of how difficult intra-African travel remains.
“As a young African who has travelled to 39 countries across the continent, I am committed to encouraging African youth to embrace the borderless Africa conversation,” he said.
Maya was quick to clarify that the idea of a borderless Africa does not mean the removal of national boundaries.
Instead, he explained, it is about easing movement by addressing visa requirements that often make travel within Africa more difficult than traveling to other parts of the world.
“A borderless Africa does not mean scrapping borders; it means ensuring that borders do not restrict movement within Africa through visa requirements,” he stated.
The content creator noted that despite Africa being home to over 1.4 billion people and 54 countries, Africans frequently face significant barriers when attempting to travel across the continent. These challenges include lengthy visa processes, high application fees, and limited visa-free access for African passport holders.
“It is extremely difficult for Africans to travel within Africa, and it should not be so, because Africa is home to every African,” Wode Maya said.
Wode Maya emphasized that limiting opportunities to one’s home country restricts potential, urging Africans to see the continent as a shared space rather than fragmented territories.
“It is time to unlock opportunities across the continent, not just in our countries of origin,” he said, adding that success often comes easier when people are allowed to operate within familiar cultural and regional environments.
“When you play on home ground, you score more goals.”