African governments must prioritise financial and policy harmonisation to unlock meaningful continental integration, Prince Moses has said, arguing that visa liberalisation alone is insufficient to deliver a truly borderless Africa.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (27 April), the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) communications director said efforts to deepen integration must go beyond political declarations and focus on structural economic reforms, particularly within the framework of the Abuja Treaty.
“The movement of people, goods and services must be underpinned by the capacity to transact,” he said, emphasising the role of financial integration in building a functional single market.
Moses pointed to the union of Tanzania—formed through the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar—as a model of successful policy harmonisation, noting that its single currency system reduces transaction costs and facilitates trade.
He identified three key benefits of financial integration: lower transaction costs, improved access to trade finance, and more efficient cross-border payment systems.
Despite these advantages, Moses acknowledged that achieving such integration across Africa remains complex, citing the continent’s more than 30 currencies and slow progress towards a unified monetary system.
“Financial integration is not a walk in the park,” he said, referencing stalled efforts such as the proposed West African single currency.
Moses also stressed the importance of digital tools—including digital currencies, biometric identification systems and cross-border payment platforms—in overcoming structural barriers.
“These digital frameworks have the potential to leapfrog bottlenecks,” he said.
While some countries have introduced visa-on-arrival policies, he described these as incremental steps rather than transformative change, urging broader reforms tied to trade efficiency and economic growth.
Africa’s fragmented markets, he warned, continue to undermine its global competitiveness despite its population of more than 1.5 billion people.
“We are exporting our prosperity to other economies that have had the sense to come together,” he said.
Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra).
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale).
Listen online: atlanticafricanews.com/, Sound Garden and TuneIn.
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3.
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra.
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand
