Renowned Ghanaian business magnate Sir Sam Jonah has accepted an invitation to serve as Lead Champion of the “Make Africa Borderless Now!” movement, a continental campaign aimed at accelerating free movement across Africa and deepening economic integration.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), is seeking to mobilise support for the ratification of the African Union’s Free Movement Protocol, a key component of efforts to unlock the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In a letter dated March 24, 2026, Sir Sam Jonah, who is also the Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, expressed his acceptance “with great conviction and a deep sense of responsibility,” describing the campaign as both timely and long overdue.
“The vision you and the Africa Prosperity Network are advancing is not merely timely; it is overdue,” he stated. “For too long, Africa’s integration agenda has remained the subject of eloquent declarations and well-intentioned summits, while the colonial-era barriers that fragment our continent continue to exact a real and daily cost on our people.”
He emphasised that the movement represents a decisive shift from rhetoric to action. “The Make Africa Borderless Now! Movement represents exactly the kind of bold, people-driven mobilisation that can close the gap between aspiration and action,” he added.
The campaign aims to gather 10 million signatures to be presented to African Heads of State at the 40th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in February 2027, a move organisers say will provide a strong public mandate for policy change.
“What moves me most about this initiative is its clarity of purpose: 10 million signatures, presented directly to African Heads of State… That is not rhetoric; that is a mandate. And mandates, when they come from the people, are not easily ignored,” Sir Sam Jonah noted.
As Lead Champion, he is expected to leverage his international reputation and influence to mobilise political and institutional support, engage key stakeholders, and amplify the campaign’s message across the continent.
APN Executive Chairman Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, in welcoming Sir Sam Jonah’s acceptance, described his involvement as pivotal to the campaign’s success.
“We are truly honoured to have you stand with us as Lead Champion of the Make Africa Borderless Now! Movement. Your immense international reputation, credibility, and moral authority will be pivotal in amplifying the message and helping to mobilise leaders, shape opinion, and drive the kind of action this continent can no longer postpone,” he said.
A key focus of the campaign in the coming months will be targeted engagement with regional blocs such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC), considered among the most progressive regional economic communities on the continent.
Since the adoption of the Free Movement Protocol in Addis Ababa in January 2018, only four African Union member states have ratified it—far short of the minimum 15 required for it to come into force. Organisers say accelerating ratification is critical to ensuring the success of AfCFTA’s single market ambitions.
Sir Sam Jonah also underscored the historical significance of the effort, invoking the vision of Kwame Nkrumah.
“Dr Kwame Nkrumah understood, long before many were willing to listen, that Africa’s dignity and prosperity are inseparable from her unity. It is our generation’s responsibility to translate that vision into lived reality,” he said.
The “Make Africa Borderless Now!” campaign is expected to intensify engagements with governments, regional bodies, and civil society organisations in the months ahead, as it works to build momentum toward achieving continent-wide free movement and deeper integration.
