Nigeria has emerged as the fourth-ranking country whose citizens gained U.S. citizenship through military service between 2020 and 2024, according to data released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on December 9.
The report revealed that 3,270 Nigerian-born service members were naturalized during this period, trailing behind the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico (3,670). Together, service members from the top five countries of birth—Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Ghana—accounted for over 38% of all military naturalizations during these years.
USCIS data also reflected a steady rise in the number of Nigerians gaining citizenship through military service. The numbers climbed annually, starting from 340 in 2020 to 630 in 2021, 680 in 2022, 690 in 2023, and peaking at 930 in 2024.
The Army led in facilitating military naturalizations, accounting for 60% of the cases, followed by the Navy (20.4%), Air Force (10.6%), and Marine Corps (6.6%). The Coast Guard contributed less than 1%.
“Service members from the Army (including National Guard and Reserves) comprised almost two-thirds of all military naturalizations from FY 2020 to FY 2024,” the USCIS report highlighted.
The report also provided insights into the demographics of those naturalized. The majority were aged 22 to 30, with a median age of 27. Approximately 17% were 21 years or younger, while nearly 5% were over 40.
Gender disparities were also noted, as men constituted 73% of all naturalized service members. However, the proportion of female service members has gradually increased over the years.
