NikeeseO91:
Hey everyone out there in Nairaland, I have a question: Can an African American with Nigerian ancestry gain Nigerian citizenship? I traced my ancestry several months ago and discovered my paternal and maternal genetic ancestry traced back to Nigeria. My fathers line being a 100% match for the Hausa ethnic group and my mothers line being a 100% match for Yoruba/Hausa ethnicities. My father is African American and my mother is from Barbados so I already have American/Bajan citizenship. However, due to slavery and all the events that came along with that years ago, all of my family's ties to Nigeria have been severed forcefully. I just want to be the one to re-establish the relationship. Could I be eligible for Nigerian citizenship because of my ancestors?


Thanks in advance guys

Landmark225:
Sure. By the way, Nigerian citizenship is very easy to get.

Phema:


You think so? You may have to think again. It is actually one of the most difficult to get. You become a Nigerian citizen only when you satisfy one of the following conditions;

- Atleast, one of your parents is a Nigerian citizen.

- You are married to a Nigerian. And this only applies to foreign women married to Nigerian men. Foreign men married to Nigerian women donot qualify.

- You are above 17years old and have stayed in Nigeria for atleast 15 years, is familiar with the languages and customs, of good behavior and plan to remain in Nigeria. And oh, you must renounce your previous citizenship. People in this category donot qualify for dual citizenship.

So, even being born in Nigeria doesn't automatically make one a citizen, except one of his/her parents is one.

OP, I doubt you will qualify. Knowing that your ancestors may be from Nigeria isn't enough for you to become a citizen.

antonreal:

Please drop all that... I have a Togolese friend who just came into Nigeria not even up to 2yrs but this guy owns a Nigerian passport and a national I.d card... so all those ones u stated above are stories from the gods.. u talking like u ain't a Nigerian and u don't know how things are here...

Phema:


We are talking about legal and constitutional means of becoming a Nigerian citizen.

Whatever means your friend got his is not the standard.

zeezahbee:
With the rate at which people get passport through agent at passport office. I had few contonou friends who have naija passport. One of them dey USA now with naija passport.

The Op can get naija passport easily but the normal standard is now where to be found.

Immigration will just collect money and arrange passport.

Nigeria is In a bad state currently and nothing goes through any standard

zeezahbee:
With the rate at which people get passport through agent at passport office. I had few contonou friends who have naija passport. One of them dey USA now with naija passport.

The Op can get naija passport easily but the normal standard is now where to be found.

Immigration will just collect money and arrange passport.

Nigeria is In a bad state currently and nothing goes through any standard

antonreal:



please drop all that... I have a Togolese friend who just came into Nigeria not even up to 2yrs but this guy owns a Nigerian passport and a national I.d card... so all those ones u stated above are stories from the gods.. u talking like u ain't a Nigerian and u don't know how things are here...

@OP: Let's twist the table a bit. If I did the same test, and my

genetic make-up shows a large part of my ancestry is traceable to France;

am I eligible to claim french citizenship?! No chance of that happening.

these "back to America" movement people who are trying to claim Nigerian Americans of Nigerian parentage, are not Nigerian, e ma je ki epe ko mo yin o.

Adura ni kie ma gba fun ara yin.

tpiander:


Is your togolese friend of nigerian ancestry

In any case, anyone can get a nigerian passport, it does seem.

tpiander:


Is your togolese friend of nigerian ancestry

In any case, anyone can get a nigerian passport, it does seem.

NikeeseO91:
Hey everyone out there in Nairaland, I have a question: Can an African American with Nigerian ancestry gain Nigerian citizenship? I traced my ancestry several months ago and discovered my paternal and maternal genetic ancestry traced back to Nigeria. My fathers line being a 100% match for the Hausa ethnic group and my mothers line being a 100% match for Yoruba/Hausa ethnicities. My father is African American and my mother is from Barbados so I already have American/Bajan citizenship. However, due to slavery and all the events that came along with that years ago, all of my family's ties to Nigeria have been severed forcefully. I just want to be the one to re-establish the relationship. Could I be eligible for Nigerian citizenship because of my ancestors?


Thanks in advance guys

Phema:


You think so? You may have to think again. It is actually one of the most difficult to get. You become a Nigerian citizen only when you satisfy one of the following conditions;

- Atleast, one of your parents is a Nigerian citizen.

- You are married to a Nigerian. And this only applies to foreign women married to Nigerian men. Foreign men married to Nigerian women donot qualify.

- You are above 17years old and have stayed in Nigeria for atleast 15 years, is familiar with the languages and customs, of good behavior and plan to remain in Nigeria. And oh, you must renounce your previous citizenship. People in this category donot qualify for dual citizenship.

So, even being born in Nigeria doesn't automatically make one a citizen, except one of his/her parents is one.

OP, I doubt you will qualify. Knowing that your ancestors may be from Nigeria isn't enough for you to become a citizen.

SisterCaro:

All this na wash i have a Namibian friend who got a Nigerian birth certificate, ID and passport in less than 48hrs. None of her parents are Nigerian and this was her first visit to naija. She got it through her boyfriend and he only got it for her because she wanted not because it had a specific purpose.
Abeg whats difficult there?

19naia:
You need a parent or grand parent who is Nigerian by birth and ancestry. It doesnt matter if you were born in nigeria or not.

Also, The president or top leadership of Nigeria can grant you Citizenship out of their own hospitality and it doesnt always have to include your knowledge of the language and cultures. But it does require your respect for Nigeria (btw-Many born and raised Nigerians try hard to respect nigeria and they fail, not easy).

The immigration and passport issue department is directly under the top leadership of Nigeria and if they grant you a passport in what most people are calling substandard ways, just remember there is a law that allows the top leadership of Nigeria to grant you or anybody a passport. The passport office is working on behalf of the top leadership of the nation and any citizenship they grant, is within their right to do so.
The passport bears the seal of the state of Nigeria under the authority of its highest leadership. That means the highest authority in the matter for Nigeria, granted it to you as they have the right to grant to any one they like.
The only legal matter in the issue is that you use your legal name, date and place of birth,and get an authentic passport from the legal appointed issuer for nigerian passport.

Another way to help your cause is to visit Nigeria and find a local government area willing to officially claim you. If you trace your heritage back to a family in Nigeria, then find that family local government area and petition for a letter from them claiming you as one of their own and granting you identification card. Get a Guarantors form and find a guarantor in the local government area and then go to the Passport office after applying for the passport, and go with enough money to pay the required fees.
If you are not willing to visit Nigeria and do they LGA and guarantor part, then you dont need a Nigerian passport anyway.
Go visit with your US passport with NG tourist/visitor visa and it will all work out unless you come to other senses and realize you never want to try and be in nor of Nigeria again. Plenty born and raised Nigerians who dont want to be in and of Nigeria ever again.