We expect more visa waivers this year – Ablakwa
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun processes to secure additional visa waiver agreements with several countries this year, following the recent visa waiver agreement with Zambia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced.
“You know that visa waiver agreements remain my priority. As Foreign Minister, I expect more visa waiver agreements this year. Even within the month of March, April and May, you'll be hearing some good news,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa made the remarks in an interview with the Daily Graphic after holding bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
He explained that efforts to secure additional visa waivers are being supported by measures to strengthen the integrity and credibility of the Ghanaian passport.
To that end, he said, the Ministry is tightening security features and enhancing the value of the travel document to make it the most credible and respected passport on the continent.
“We want the Ghanaian passport to be the most valued passport in Africa and one of the most valued anywhere in the world and we are very much on course.
“I'm excited about the progress we are making, and I want to congratulate the team of diplomats I work with who are helping me in the negotiations and who are in the advance team, doing a lot of heavy lifting as we negotiate with all of these countries,” he said.
The Minister noted that the Ghanaian passport, in its current chip-embedded form, is already among the most secure on the continent, but stressed that periodic reviews would be undertaken to enhance its security further.
“We are ahead of many countries; we will be in the top 10, if you talk to the experts who have analysed our passport,” he said.
On concerns about passport abuse, Mr Ablakwa affirmed that stringent safeguards had been put in place to prevent foreigners from infiltrating the system to acquire Ghanaian passports fraudulently.
“I am also making sure that we improve security that our passports will not get into their hands. Because, as we sign more of these visa waiver agreements, many people will be envious and will be trying to infiltrate.
“The bad guys will try to lay hands on our passport, though they are not citizens and are not entitled to have Ghanaian passports.
“So, be assured that we have improved the security, we have invested in AI tools and modern technology to make us ahead of what the bad guys will be trying to do. It’s great times for Ghanaian passport holders,” he stated.
He added that, in line with the government’s commitment to making passports more accessible, the cost of acquiring the document had been reduced by 30 per cent to ensure affordability for Ghanaians. He described the passport as a symbol of “national pride and identity”.
Beyond visa matters, the Minister disclosed that Ghana’s draft United Nations resolution seeking to declare slavery and the slave trade as the greatest crime against humanity had been adopted at the ministerial level after what he described as a fruitful Executive Council meeting at the AU Summit.
He indicated that Heads of State were expected to endorse the draft resolution in the coming days.
Mr Ablakwa further revealed that President John Mahama is expected, following endorsement of the resolution, to travel to the Caribbean to participate in the Caribbean Community and Common Market Summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis, where he will address leaders of CARICOM.
