Nigeria has been ranked fourth in the list of countries whose nationals were awarded U.S. citizenship through military naturalisation over the last four years. During this period, the United States conferred citizenship on over 52,000 military personnel from various nations.
Based on data obtained from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Monday, 3,270 service members born in Nigeria received U.S. citizenship, following the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico (3,670).
“Service members born in the Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Ghana — the five leading countries of origin among those who were naturalised — accounted for more than 38% of all naturalisations since FY 2020.” The report said.
The information indicated that Nigerian service personnel acquiring U.S. citizenship has consistently risen over the past five years. The count increased from 340 in 2020 to 630 in 2021, 680 in 2022, 690 in 2023, and 930 in 2024.
The Army represented 60% of all military naturalisations during this period, with the Navy contributing 20.4%, the Air Force at 10.6%, and the Marine Corps at 6.6%, with most service members between the age of 22 and 30 years old at the time of naturalisation.
