No fewer than 34,289 Nigerians were granted United States citizenship between 2020 and 2022, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The data, captured in the Naturalisations Annual Flow Report and compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, covers applicants tracked from fingerprinting to the oath-taking stage via the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) system.
In the 2020 fiscal year (October 2019 – September 2020), 8,930 Nigerians were naturalised, despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to an 11-week suspension of oath ceremonies.
The figure rose to 10,921 in 2021 as USCIS cleared its pandemic backlog, and by 2022, a record-high 14,438 Nigerians took the oath — marking a 32% increase from the previous year.
This three-year total represents about 3% of all African naturalisations (248,553) during the period, making Nigeria the top African country of origin for new U.S. citizens, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Other African countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia, and Kenya were grouped under “All other countries.”
The report also shows that Africa recorded the highest regional growth in naturalisations, with a 40% jump between 2021 and 2022.
Globally, Mexico led the chart with 326,237 naturalisations in the three years, followed by India (171,114), the Philippines (135,313), Cuba (126,203), and China (82,376).
In total, nearly 2.4 million people were naturalised in the U.S. within the three-year window.
USCIS explains that naturalisation applicants are assessed through a rigorous process that includes background checks, interviews, and tests on English proficiency and U.S. civics. Most applicants must have been lawful permanent residents for at least five years (or three years if married to a U.S. citizen).
Historically dominated by Europeans, the U.S. naturalisation demographic began to shift following the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) amendments, which removed nationality-based quotas. Since then, Asia and Africa have seen significant increases in immigration and citizenship.
Notably, African immigrants now spend an average of six years as permanent residents before naturalising — faster than the global median.
With improved processing times, Nigerians who filed their naturalisation applications after October 2024 may complete the process and take the oath by mid-2025, the report indicated.
