Between 2017 and 2023, the Federal Government officially granted Nigerian citizenship to no fewer than 1,006 foreign nationals, according to findings by Sunday PUNCH.
While most people only hear about citizenship being conferred during public ceremonies held by the Ministry of Interior—usually under the watchful eyes of the Presidency—many others quietly became citizens through regular administrative processes behind the scenes.
The first major public citizenship ceremony took place on May 17, 2017, at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja. Former President Muhammadu Buhari personally handed certificates to 335 new citizens, one of whom was Lara Fortes, an Ethiopian-born model and wife of former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
At that event, the then Interior Minister, Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), explained that 245 recipients had qualified through naturalisation after at least 15 years of legal residency in Nigeria, while 90 gained citizenship by registration—mainly spouses and children of Nigerians. All of them, he stressed, had gone through rigorous security screening and Federal Executive Council approval.
There was a five-year break from public ceremonies, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and bureaucratic delays. But the process resumed on September 15, 2022, with another 286 foreigners receiving citizenship certificates. That batch included 86 Lebanese, 14 Britons, and four Americans.
The final known ceremony under Buhari's administration happened on May 27, 2023—just two days before his handover. Then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo stood in for Buhari and presented certificates to 385 individuals at the Nigeria Correctional Service headquarters. Former Minister Rauf Aregbesola proudly declared that the 2022 and 2023 ceremonies alone accounted for 671 new citizens—the highest number under any Nigerian government.
Citizenship in Nigeria is granted either by naturalisation or registration, based on strict conditions such as lawful residency, good character, tax compliance, and clear security records. While no public ceremonies have been held since President Tinubu took office in May 2023, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo confirmed that several approved applicants are currently undergoing DSS checks.
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