Nigeria Ranks 4th in U.S. Military Citizenship Grants

Nigeria has emerged as the fourth-highest-ranking country for military naturalization in the United States between 2020 and 2024.

During this period, over 52,000 military personnel from various nations became U.S. citizens through naturalization. Data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reveals that 3,270 Nigerian-born service members were granted citizenship, trailing behind the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico (3,670).

According to the report, these top five countries—Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Ghana—accounted for over 38% of military naturalizations during the reviewed timeframe. The next five countries—Haiti, China, Cameroon, Vietnam, and South Korea—contributed an additional 16%.

The number of Nigerians gaining U.S. citizenship through military service has shown consistent growth over the five years. Starting with 340 naturalizations in 2020, the figure climbed to 630 in 2021, 680 in 2022, 690 in 2023, and 930 in 2024.

The U.S. Army accounted for the majority (60%) of military naturalizations, followed by the Navy (20.4%), Air Force (10.6%), and Marine Corps (6.6%). The Coast Guard represented less than 1% of these naturalizations.

Demographically, half of all service members who naturalized were between the ages of 22 and 30, with a median age of 27. Approximately 17% were 21 years old or younger, and nearly 5% were over 40 years old.

In terms of gender, men dominated the figures, representing 73% of all naturalized service members. However, the report noted a gradual increase in the proportion of female service members gaining citizenship over the years.