The dream of a United States of Africa—where one can travel freely from Cape Town to Cairo—has long inspired Pan-African thought. In 2018, the African Union’s Protocol on Free Movement of Persons reignited this ambition, with policymakers and business leaders promoting a borderless Africa as the key to industrialisation and trade.
Yet, while the vision is noble, its immediate implementation is dangerously premature. Africa today is defined by a Great Divergence—deep disparities in development, infrastructure, governance, and security. Removing borders without addressing these gaps would not bring shared prosperity; it would trigger migration crises, social instability, and economic strain on the continent’s few stable states.
Kwame Nkrumah’s Pan-African vision was not merely about abolishing borders. He envisioned a coordinated industrial and political framework that would distribute industries across regions to prevent economic imbalances. Today, Africa has adopted a trade-first approach through the AfCFTA without the political and industrial convergence Nkrumah advocated.
The disparity is stark. GDP per capita in Mauritius or Seychelles is more than thirty times higher than in countries like Burundi or South Sudan. Infrastructure gaps further widen the divide—some countries boast modern transport systems, while others lack basic paved roads to their borders. In such conditions, free movement would become one-directional, pushing mass migration toward stable economies.
A borderless Africa would create an overwhelming pull toward relatively stable countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, and Egypt. These nations already face unemployment and overstretched public services. South Africa’s unemployment rate is around 30 percent. An uncontrolled influx of low-skilled migrants would depress wages, strain social systems, and fuel political backlash.
Even within ECOWAS, free movement has been tested by economic imbalance, leading to sudden border closures such as Nigeria’s 2019 shutdown. If regional blocs struggle with integration, a continent-wide open-border regime would magnify the challenges.
Africa is battling transnational security threats—from Boko Haram to Al-Shabaab and Sahelian jihadist groups. Porous borders already facilitate terrorism, arms trafficking, and human smuggling. Opening borders without a centralized continental security system would make these threats harder to contain.
Institutional weaknesses and corruption further complicate integration. Border corruption already acts as a “tax” on movement. Without strong governance, a borderless Africa could become an unregulated space where criminals move freely while legitimate businesses face bureaucratic barriers.
Mass migration carries social consequences. Economic hardship in some states has already driven youth migration, sometimes linked to cybercrime, trafficking, and informal economies. Host nations respond with restrictive policies and, at times, xenophobic violence.
Borders, though imperfect, define state responsibility. Removing them prematurely risks eroding accountability and social cohesion.
Advocates often cite the European Union as a model. But Schengen came decades after Europe harmonised laws, economies, and institutions. Africa is attempting the reverse—opening borders before convergence.
Moreover, Africa’s trade challenge is not border restrictions but limited industrial production. Opening borders will not create industries; it will simply expand markets for foreign goods.
Africa is not ready for a borderless reality today—but it can be in the future. The path forward must be phased:
- Strengthen regional blocs like ECOWAS, EAC, and SADC first.
- Invest in infrastructure and digital border systems.
- Harmonise security databases and governance frameworks.
- Address poverty and unemployment in weaker states to reduce migration pressures.
- Adopt a tiered movement system based on governance and security benchmarks.
The dream of a borderless Africa is powerful—but unity must be built, not declared. Borders are not enemies of development; they are safeguards of sovereignty and stability. Only when Africa narrows its internal divergence can borders truly become bridges.
The goal remains one Africa. But the journey must be strategic, measured, and grounded in reality.
