By Ayo Kehinde
No fewer than 34,289 Nigerians acquired United States citizenship through naturalisation between 2020 and 2022, according to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The latest Naturalizations Annual Flow Report places Nigeria 15th among the top 20 countries of birth for new American citizens within the three-year period—making it the highest-ranked African nation on the list.
The report, compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, draws from Form N-400 applications filed by prospective citizens and data sourced from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) systems, including electronic case files and the Central Index System.
A breakdown of the numbers shows that 8,930 Nigerians became U.S. citizens in 2020, accounting for 1.4 per cent of the 628,258 people naturalised that year. The figure rose by 22.3 per cent in 2021 to 10,921 as USCIS worked through its pandemic-induced backlog. In 2022, the number surged to a record-high 14,438—marking a 32 per cent year-on-year increase and the highest annual total ever recorded for Nigerian applicants.
Overall, the three-year period saw a 58.8 per cent growth in naturalisations among Nigerians, who made up three per cent of the 248,553 Africans granted U.S. citizenship during the same period.
Regionally, only Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo made it into the global top-30 list, with Nigeria leading the continent in naturalisation numbers. Africa also recorded the fastest growth rate globally in 2022, with a 40 per cent increase in naturalisations from the previous year.
Globally, Mexico topped the chart with 326,237 new citizens, followed by India (171,114), the Philippines (135,313), Cuba (126,203), the Dominican Republic (81,303), Vietnam (80,177), China (82,376), Jamaica (57,145), El Salvador (52,399), and Colombia (48,396). These 10 countries accounted for nearly half of the 2.4 million naturalisations recorded from 2020 to 2022.
While the U.S. naturalisation process is governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, a landmark shift came with the 1965 amendment, which abolished discriminatory national-origin quotas and opened the door to increased immigration from Asia and Africa.
To qualify for naturalisation, applicants must generally have at least five years of lawful permanent residence—or three years if married to a U.S. citizen—demonstrate continuous residence, and pass English language and U.S. civics proficiency tests. They must also undergo background checks and an interview before taking the Oath of Allegiance administered by a judge or designated official.
Naturalised citizens enjoy nearly all the same rights and responsibilities as those born in the U.S., including the right to vote.
