At least 47,819 Nigerians became naturalised citizens of the United States between 2019 and 2023, figures from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security show.
The data, contained in the updated U.S. Naturalisations Annual Flow Report released in August 2025, was compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics from Form N-400 applications and case files managed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
According to the report, 8,930 Nigerians took the oath of allegiance in the 2020 fiscal year, a period marked by COVID-19 shutdowns that forced USCIS to suspend ceremonies for 11 weeks. The number rose to 10,921 in 2021 as the agency cleared backlogs, then peaked at 14,438 in 2022 — the highest on record for Nigeria. It declined slightly to 13,530 in 2023.
The four-year total represents about 1.4 per cent of all 341,884 Africans who naturalised in that period. Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo featured among the top 30 source countries for new U.S. citizens.
Across Africa, naturalisations rose 43 per cent between 2020 and 2023, the fastest increase of any continent. Africans also had the shortest median time — six years — between obtaining permanent residency and naturalising, matching the figure for Asia.
By comparison, Mexico accounted for the highest overall naturalisations, with 437,697 new citizens over the same period. India followed with 230,164, while the Philippines (180,073), Cuba (159,393), and the Dominican Republic (116,523) rounded out the top five.
In total, more than 3.3 million people became U.S. citizens between 2020 and 2023.
USCIS notes that applicants must be at least 18 years old, hold permanent resident (green card) status for a minimum of five years (three if married to a U.S. citizen), demonstrate continuous residence and physical presence, pass English and civics tests, and prove “good moral character” before being scheduled for an oath ceremony.
