Even though I am influential, I still need 38 visas to travel around Africa – Dangote

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Business magnate man Aliko Dangote, ranked by Forbes Magazine as the richest man in Africa, speaks during a send off ceremony of 250 Nigerian health workers on a mission to fight Ebola virus in affected West African countries and launch of African initiative operating under the hash tag #AfricaAgainstEbola in Lagos on December 3, 2014. Two hundred and fifty volunteer Nigerian medical corps under the auspices of the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) were given a send off to fight Ebola Virus Diseases in the affected three West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The African Union, which is collaborating with the private sector to raise funds to support and strengthen the Unions response to the crises, is sending more than 1000 health workers before Christmas. AFP PHOTO/PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images)

Aliko Dangote, Nigerian billionaire businessman, has lamented the difficulty in obtaining visas when travelling to other African countries.

He advised African leaders to give incentives to investors and make intra-Africa travel easy.

According to Dangote, he needs 38 visas to travel across Africa despite the size of his group and his investments on the continent.

“Our leaders must give incentives. For example, little things like visa issuance. You go to a country that is looking for investment, that particular country will give you a run around just to get a visa,” he said in an interview with CNBC Africa.

“You have to know somebody who is big in that country to call somebody. They are giving you visas as if it is a favour.

“Somebody like me, despite the size of our group, I need 38 visas to move around Africa. Yes, I’ve heard that they are going to do the (African) passport, but you can see that there is still a little bit of resistance from other African leaders.

“Even countries like Rwanda and co, that say no visas for Africans, they are still having problems getting visas into other African countries, despite saying no need for visas for Africans coming in. They say, just come, we would give you on arrival.”

 

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