Citizenship: Citizens Rights & Types

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The Nigerian Constitution recognizes certain people as citizens of Nigeria. This is important because it is only citizens that can vote and be voted for into any office, be appointed into political office and claim the human rights in the ordinary (municipal) courts. 

There are three ways of becoming a citizen of Nigeria as follows:
  • Citizen by Birth
  • Citizen by Registration
  • Citizen by naturalization

Citizen by Birth
A citizen of Nigeria by birth can manifest in three ways, as follows: 

A person is a citizen of Nigeria by birth if he/she was born before Independence (on 1st October 1960) either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents belonged to a community indigenous to Nigeria and was born in the territory now called Nigeria. 

This means that a child born to aliens in Nigeria cannot be a Nigerian. Compare this with a child born to Nigerian parents in the USA, Saudi Arabia or Britain.

Citizen by Registration
A person who is not a Nigerian by birth but is of a good character and has shown a clear intention of his/her desire to be domiciled in Nigeria and has taken the necessary oath of allegiance. 

This applies to women married to Nigerians and also to adults born outside Nigeria but whose parents or grandparents are/were citizens of Nigeria, but who failed to exercise their option to take up Nigerian citizenship on becoming an adult. It must noted that this applies to a wife of a Nigerian but not to a foreign husband of a Nigerian woman.

Citizen by naturalization
A person may become a citizen of Nigeria by naturalization.  The Citizenship is conferred by the President after the application of that person has been carefully investigated. Such a person is not a Nigerian by birth but is a person of good character and has shown a clear intention of his/her desire to be domiciled in Nigeria and has taken the necessary oath of allegiance.

All those who desire to be citizens by naturalization would be adults of foreign origin, who have lived in Nigeria for not less than 15 years and who can manifestly contribute to the development of Nigeria.

The President can deprive or remove the citizenship of anyone, for good cause except those who are citizens by birth. All citizens are entitled to have their fundamental rights respected. This includes rights to vote and to be voted for.

Dual Citizenship
A Nigerian citizen by birth can also be a citizen of another country. A naturalized or registered citizen can only retain citizenship of the original country and no more.


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