African Union Advisory Board Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has reiterated that Africa’s integration agenda will only succeed if it moves beyond treaties and becomes a lived experience for citizens.

She made the remarks during theAPN Africa Day webinar on Monday (25 May), where discussions focused on visa-free movement and continental integration.

While her full intervention was framed within panel moderation and engagement with speakers, the session emphasised her long-standing position that Africa’s development agenda must prioritise the implementation of existing frameworks such as the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons under Agenda 2063.

The protocol, adopted in 2018, aims to guarantee visa-free entry, residence, and establishment rights for African citizens, but remains largely unratified by member states.

Throughout the discussion, Dlamini-Zuma underscored the importance of translating continental commitments into national action, particularly in facilitating labour mobility, trade, and cross-border cooperation.

The session also highlighted her emphasis on trust-building between states as a prerequisite for easing mobility restrictions across the continent.