Nigeria has emerged as one of the top five countries benefiting from the United States’ military naturalisation programme, ranking fourth globally between 2020 and 2024.
According to the PUNCH, a data released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during this period noted that 3,270 Nigerian-born service members gained U.S. citizenship.
The figures highlight a growing trend of Nigerians enlisting in the U.S. military as a pathway to citizenship. Nigeria follows the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico (3,670) on the list of countries with the highest number of military naturalisations during this timeframe.
Collectively, service members from these four nations, along with Ghana, account for over 38% of the total naturalisations under the programme.
The data reveals a consistent rise in the number of Nigerian service members naturalised over the five-year period. From 340 in 2020, the figure surged to 930 in 2024, marking a nearly threefold increase.
This upward trend underscores the growing participation of Nigerians in the U.S. military and highlights the country’s contribution to the programme.
The report also sheds light on the distribution of naturalised service members across military branches.
The U.S. Army accounted for 60% of all military naturalisations, followed by the Navy (20.4%), Air Force (10.6%), and Marine Corps (6.6%).
Less than 1% served in the Coast Guard. Nigerians, like other service members, primarily naturalised through the Army, reflecting the branch’s dominance in the programme.
The analysis revealed that the majority of naturalised service members were young adults, with half aged between 22 and 30 at the time of naturalisation.
The median age was 27, while about 17% were 21 and under. Gender distribution showed that men comprised 73% of those naturalised, although the proportion of female service members has seen slight growth in recent years.
The rise in Nigerian-born service members gaining U.S. citizenship reflects broader opportunities for immigrants in the United States.
The military naturalisation programme not only strengthens the U.S. armed forces but also provides immigrants with a pathway to secure citizenship through dedicated service.
