No fewer than 34,289 Nigerians acquired American citizenship through naturalisation between 2020 and 2022, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This placed Nigeria among the top 20 countries of birth for newly naturalised U.S. citizens during the three-year period, ranking 15th overall.
The figures, compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, are drawn from the Naturalisations Annual Flow Report and based on information from Form N-400 — the official application for naturalisation. This form collects applicants’ personal information, including country and date of birth, marital status, sex, and current U.S. state of residence.
Additional data sources for the report include the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Electronic Immigration System — which tracks applicants from the initial fingerprinting stage to the final oath ceremony — and the Central Index System.
Naturalisation is a legal process by which foreign-born individuals acquire U.S. citizenship after meeting the requirements set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Once naturalised, immigrants are entitled to nearly all the rights and privileges enjoyed by natural-born U.S. citizens, including the right to vote.
Consistent Rise in Nigerian Naturalisations
The number of Nigerians granted U.S. citizenship through naturalisation increased significantly over the three years, rising by 58.8%. In 2020, a total of 8,930 Nigerians became citizens, representing 1.4% of the total 628,258 naturalisations in the United States that year.
This figure rose to 10,921 in 2021 — a 22.3% increase — as USCIS cleared its backlog caused by an 11-week suspension of oath ceremonies during the COVID-19 lockdown. By 2022, Nigerian naturalisations surged to an all-time high of 14,438, marking a 32% increase from the previous year.
Across the African continent, Nigeria led the way in U.S. naturalisations, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which also recorded significant growth in 2022, with nearly 6,000 new citizens. Other African nations were grouped under the “All other countries” category. Overall, 248,553 Africans were naturalised during the period, with Nigerians accounting for 3% of this number. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, African naturalisations increased by 40% — the highest regional growth rate.
Global Context and Historical Background
On a global scale, Mexico topped the list with 326,237 naturalisations between 2020 and 2022, 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 collectively accounted for nearly half of all 2.4 million naturalisations completed during the three-year period.
Historically, naturalisation in the U.S. was dominated by European immigrants. However, the 1965 amendments to the INA — which abolished discriminatory national origin quotas — opened the door to greater immigration from Asia and Africa. The report notes that Asia surpassed Europe in the 1970s, and in recent years, Africa has posted the fastest growth rate among regions, with African immigrants spending a median of six years as permanent residents before naturalising — a year less than the global average.
Rigorous Naturalisation Process
The USCIS outlines a detailed process for naturalisation, including stringent eligibility criteria. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have been lawfully admitted as permanent residents for at least five continuous years (three if married to a U.S. citizen). They must also meet residency, language, and civics requirements.
The application process involves the submission of Form N-400 with necessary documentation, followed by extensive background checks, an in-person interview, English and civics testing, and, if approved, participation in a formal oath ceremony.
Not all applications result in citizenship within the same year of submission. Some are denied or delayed, meaning naturalisation approval statistics often reflect a time lag in application processing.
The U.S. naturalisation framework continues to operate under the guidelines of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, with USCIS — a component of the DHS — responsible for screening, vetting, and approving eligible applicants.
