Ghana Tourism to Partner Nigeria, ECOWAS on Seamless West Africa Travel
The Ghana Tourism Authority has said it will be partnering with the Nigerian government and the ECOWAS community on the need to re-emphasize the seamless travel of people along the West Africa corridor.
The acting Chief Executive of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr Kwasi Agyeman, who spoke at the just concluded 13th Akwaaba African Travel Market 2017, said there was need for greater collaboration among countries in the region to promote tourism and travel in West Africa.
Narrating to Thisday Newspaper the ordeal of the Ghanaian delegation which travelled by road to Nigeria for the Akwaaba Travel Market, he said the team had to endure hours of frustration at the Ghana-Togo and the Togo-Benin borders over immigration processes.
According to him, it took at least three hours and 20 minutes to be cleared at both barriers.
He said: “The worst was yet to come at Seme which borders Benin-Nigeria. It took more than three hours to complete the immigration process.
“Although the team had all documentations intact, the Nigerian immigration officials were at their slowest. It had to take a call from one of the state governors to release the team.
“From Seme through Badagry, there were at least 18 barriers and checkpoints, comprising police, Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency and immigration.
“In the end, a journey that should have taken four hours from Benin ended in almost eight hours.”
He said tourism growth in the sub-region would thrive better in an atmosphere of free movement of people.
“We will work together to ensure that more of our citizens visit each other’s country to boost the tourism business,” he stated.
