By Tosin Temiye.
Nigeria ranks fourth among countries whose citizens earned U.S. citizenship through military service between 2020 and 2024, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
During this period, over 52,000 service members from various nations were naturalized, with 3,270 Nigerian-born personnel becoming U.S. citizens. Nigeria trails the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico (3,670) in the rankings.
Top Nationalities in Military Naturalization
The report highlighted that individuals from the Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Ghana accounted for over 38% of all military naturalizations during this period. An additional 16% came from Haiti, China, Cameroon, Vietnam, and South Korea.
Rising Numbers for Nigerians
The number of Nigerian service members gaining citizenship has grown steadily over the past five years:
- 2020: 340
- 2021: 630
- 2022: 680
- 2023:. 690
- 2024: 930
This upward trend reflects the increasing participation of Nigerians in U.S. military service as a pathway to citizenship.
The USCIS data underscores the significant role played by military service in enabling immigrants, including Nigerians, to achieve citizenship in the United States.