This post is a definitive guide on types of citizenship and ways of Acquiring citizenship in Nigeria.
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen, especially of a particular country with all the Constitutional rights.
Who is A Citizen of Nigeria?
A citizen of Nigeria is a legal member of a state with full constitutional rights in that state in which he resides Nigeria. We have 36 states in Nigeria and anybody born in any of these states is a Nigerian Citizen by Birth with full constitutional rights.
Types of Citizenship in Nigeria
In Nigeria, we have 4 major types of Citizenship
- Citizenship by Birth
- Naturalization
- Citizenship by Registration
- Dual Citizenship
Ways Of Acquiring Citizenship in Nigeria
Below are the ways of acquiring citizenship in Nigeria
1. Citizenship By Birth
Section 25 of the Nigerian Constitution states, People who were born in Nigeria before and after the date of independence are considered citizens, People whose parents, grandparents or other relatives belong to any of the indigenous tribes of Nigerian communities are also considered to be citizens of Nigeria, the most common ethnic groups in Nigeria are Hausa, Yoruba, Tiv, Jukun, Igala, Idoma, Ijaw and the rest…
Automatically you are a citizen of Nigeria if you are born in Nigeria and your parents are also Nigerians, However, if you were born in another but your parents or grandparents are citizens of Nigeria, then, you have the room to apply and acquire Nigerian citizenship by birth
2. Citizenship By Naturalization
This way of Acquiring citizenship is done mostly by people who can not acquire citizenship by birth and whose parents or grandparents do not have Nigerian origin. However, this method of acquiring citizenship in Nigeria has certain requirements
- The Individual must be up to 18 years
- He/she should be able to display good character
- Such a person has shown a clear desire to feel at home and comfortable
- The government of the state the person wishes to reside must give an approval
- He/she should be capable and willing to contribute to the well being of Nigeria and its citizens
- The person must have lived in Nigeria for not less than 15 years before applying for citizenship
3. Citizenship By Registration
An individual can acquire Citizenship by registration if certain criteria are met, a foreign woman who marries a citizen of Nigeria can become a citizen of Nigeria by registration.
Citizenship by Registration requires the following
- This person must be of age
- He/she person is of good character (just like in the type before).
- Such Individuals must show a clear desire to be domiciled in the country.
- The governor of the state has to approve
- He/she should be capable of contributing to the development of Nigeria and its citizens.
- The person must have lived in Nigeria for fifteen years preceding the application date.
4. Dual Citizenship
As the name implies, dual means two. So a person can acquire citizenship from two different countries. Nonetheless, dual citizenship is not an option for the people who became citizens of Nigeria by naturalization or registration. Anyone who wants to acquire the citizenship of Nigeria by registration or naturalization will have to renounce his/her other citizenship within 12 months.
Nigerian nationality law allows only those who have decent citizenship, that is who have Nigerian parents or those who were born in Nigeria after October 1st 1960.
Renunciation and Deprivation of Citizenship in Nigeria
A Citizen of Nigeria may choose to renounce his citizenship by filling out the renunciation form and submitting it to the president of Nigeria. The application will be rejected if the country is at war, in addition, a naturalized citizen of Nigeria can be deprived of their citizenship by the president if he/she gets imprisoned for more than three years within the seven years after the naturalization.
Citizenship Education in Nigeria
In Nigeria, Citizenship Education is a training that helps in improving the knowledge and skills of citizens to transform them into good, useful and patriotic citizens
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Conclusion: Types and Ways of Acquiring Citizenship In Nigeria
We hope this post has provided valuable information about citizenship, types and ways of acquiring citizenship in Nigeria
lastly, if you have questions make the comment box your home!!
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