Nigerians acquire citizenship through military _ US government

An analysis has shown that 73% of service members who were naturalised between 2020 and 2024 were men. During this period, over 3,270 service members born in Nigeria were granted U.S. citizenship. Nigeria ranked fourth in the number of military naturalisations, following the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico (3,670). Overall, more than 52,000 military service members from various countries became U.S. citizens between 2020 and 2024.

The analysis revealed that service members from the Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Ghana made up over 38% of all naturalisations during this period. The next group of top countries—Haiti, China, Cameroon, Vietnam, and South Korea—contributed an additional 16%.

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The number of Nigerian service members gaining U.S. citizenship has increased steadily over these years, starting at 340 in 2020 and rising to 930 in 2024. The Army accounted for the majority of naturalisations at 60%, followed by the Navy (20.4%), Air Force (10.6%), and Marine Corps (6.6%). Less than 1% of the naturalised service members were from the Coast Guard.

The report also noted that half of the service members who naturalised were between 22 and 30 years old, with a median age of 27. Additionally, over 17% were 21 or younger, while nearly 5% were over 40. The proportion of female service members who naturalised slightly increased over time.