141 Years After Berlin Conference, African Influencers Push for a Borderless Continent

Nearly a century and a half after the Berlin Conference carved artificial borders across Africa, more than 36 influential African creators, journalists, artists, and cultural leaders gathered at African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa on November 14–15, 2025, to demand a borderless, integrated continent.

The High-Level Influencers Forum on Borderless Africa was organised by Africans Rising and brought together a diverse community of influencers, policymakers, and activists who called for renewed urgency in dismantling colonial-era borders and advancing continental free movement.

The Forum paid homage to the resilience of African ancestors who resisted imperial fragmentation, while amplifying today’s efforts to reclaim African identity and unity.

“Integration is about people experiencing freedom” – AU Official

In his keynote address, Amb. Fred Ngoga, Senior Advisor for International Partnerships at the African Union Commission, underscored the power influencers hold in shaping public consciousness.

“Integration is more than policy; it is about people experiencing freedom across their own continent. Influencers have the power to make this real for millions of Africans.”

Speakers challenged participants to go beyond commemorating the past, urging practical actions toward borderless mobility.

Influencers Sign Addis Ababa Declaration on Borderless Africa

Armed with cameras, phones, and pens, 36 creators from across Africa and the diaspora signed the Addis Ababa Influencers Declaration on Borderless Africa, presented to Amb. Robert Afriyie, Ghana’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU.

Receiving the declaration, Amb. Afriyie called on African storytellers to take control of the continent’s narrative:

“Africa must tell its own stories through its own lenses. When we own the narrative, we reclaim our power.”

He urged influencers to use digital tools wisely, reminding them that “history is not a marathon but a relay—run your leg with purpose.”

Call to Reverse Colonial Legacies

Hardi Yakubu, Coordinator of the Africans Rising Movement, challenged Africa to stop accepting restrictions inherited from the colonial past.

“We can no longer complain about what the Berlin Conference did 141 years ago when we have the power to undo it. We must begin to localise the borderless campaign.”

He emphasized that Africans should not still be paying in foreign currency simply to travel within the continent—especially to Addis Ababa, home of the AU.

Borderless Africa Fund Announced

To sustain the momentum, the Forum announced the creation of the Borderless Africa Fund, aimed at supporting advocacy, awareness campaigns, and movement-building initiatives pushing for the free movement of African citizens.

Influencers committed to amplifying people-centered narratives, challenging stereotypes, and spotlighting stories of African achievement, innovation, and solidarity.

A Vision of a Borderless Future

Participants articulated a bold vision for a Borderless Africa:

• A continent where every African can move, live, and work freely
• A universally accepted African passport
• Visa-free travel across all member states
• Affordable air travel and thriving intra-African trade
• Regional integration as a foundation for peace, prosperity, and dignity

Despite progress, key challenges remain. As of 2025, only 32 of 55 AU Member States have signed the 2018 AU Protocol on Free Movement, and just four countries—Rwanda, Niger, Mali, and São Tomé and Príncipe—have ratified it.

The unified call from influencers at the Forum signals growing momentum for change.

“Africa has the creativity to populate millions of new worlds”

Grammy-nominated artist Rocky Dawuni captured the spirit of the gathering:

“Africa has the diversity and creativity to populate millions of new worlds. Yet our full potential remains unrealised, waiting for us to manifest it.”

A Movement Rooted in Pan-African Solidarity

The two-day Forum, convened in partnership with African Union, reinforced the movement’s flagship Borderless Africa campaign, which advocates for free movement as both a justice imperative and a catalyst for continental transformation.

Supporters are invited to join the campaign by signing the petition at: https://www.africansrising.org/