A total of 335 foreign nationals have been granted citizenship by the Federal Government of Nigeria after statutory clearance and due diligence by the relevant security agencies.
The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, who presented the certificates of citizenship to the recipients, charged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.
Mr. Dambazau, in his remarks, said that 335 applicants were approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in January, out of the over 500 foreigners that applied.
He explained that 245 of the foreigners approved were granted citizenship by naturalisation while 90 were by registration. The second group had mainly foreigners married to Nigerians.
“Let me say that application for the Citizenship of Nigeria which can be by Naturalisation or Registration is provided for in Chapter 3, Sections 26 and 27 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ the minister explained.
The minister said the approval was part of the government’s effort on the “Ease of doing business in Nigeria” and boosting Nigeria’s image in line with international best practice.
He tasked the new citizens to be of good conduct, respect the rights and customs of their communities and contribute to the development of Nigeria.
Mr. Damabazau said the last time such ceremony was conducted was in December, 2013 and pledged to ensure its sustenance on an annual basis for proper scrutiny.
Recipients include nationals from Rwanda, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, China and some African countries, most of whom are business moguls who have been operating in Nigeria for years.
