3,270 NIGERIANS GAIN US CITIZENSHIP THROUGH MILITARY SERVICE
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GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–Nigeria has ranked fourth among countries whose citizens were granted U.S. citizenship through military naturalization between 2020 and 2024.
According to data obtained from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a total of 3,270 Nigerian-born service members were granted U.S. citizenship during this period.
The top five countries of birth among those naturalized were the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), Mexico (3,670), Nigeria (3,270), and Ghana. These countries accounted for over 38% of the naturalizations.
The data revealed that the number of Nigerian service members gaining U.S. citizenship has steadily increased over the past five years. From 340 in 2020, the figure rose to 630 in 2021, 680 in 2022, 690 in 2023, and 930 in 2024.
The Army accounted for 60% of all military naturalizations during this period, followed by the Navy (20.4%), Air Force (10.6%), and Marine Corps (6.6%). Less than 1% of naturalized service members served in the Coast Guard.
Regarding age distribution, half of the service members were between 22 and 30 years old when they naturalized. The median age of all service members who naturalized between FY 2020 and FY 2024 was 27. More than 17% were 21 and under, while almost 5% were older than 40.
In terms of gender distribution, 73% of the naturalized service members were men. The proportion of female service members slightly increased across the years.
The data provides insight into the demographics of foreign-born service members who have gained U.S. citizenship through military service.
