Nigerian citizenship is set out in Chapter III of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, sections 25 to 32. There are three ways to be Nigerian: by birth, by registration and by naturalisation. Which one you hold decides whether you can keep another citizenship alongside it.
By birth - section 25
You are a Nigerian citizen by birth if:
- you were born in Nigeria after independence, and either of your parents or any of your grandparents is a Nigerian citizen; or
- you were born outside Nigeria, and either of your parents is a Nigerian citizen.
Being born in Nigeria is not enough on its own. A child born in Lagos to two foreign parents is not Nigerian. A child born in London to one Nigerian parent is.
By registration - section 26
Two groups can apply to be registered as citizens:
- A woman who is or has been married to a Nigerian man, under section 26(2)(a).
- An adult born outside Nigeria, any of whose grandparents is Nigerian, under section 26(2)(b).
Applicants must be of good character, show a clear intention to live in Nigeria, and take the oath of allegiance.
Warning
A foreign woman married to a Nigerian man may register as a citizen under s.26(2)(a) of the Constitution. There is no equivalent route for a foreign man married to a Nigerian woman. That asymmetry is the constitutional position, not an omission by this site.
Bills to give foreign husbands the same right have been put to the National Assembly more than once. The House of Representatives voted one down in 2022, and another passed second reading in 2025. Until a constitutional amendment is passed by both chambers and the state assemblies, the position stands.
By naturalisation - section 27
Anyone else must naturalise. The Constitution requires, among other things:
- 15 years’ residence in Nigeria
- good character, and the ability to integrate into the community where you live, which must find you acceptable
- that you are able to contribute to Nigeria’s advancement
- the oath of allegiance
Naturalisation is granted at the President’s discretion, through the Federal Ministry of Interior. It is slow and uncommon. Most foreign nationals who live in Lagos for decades do so on renewed residence permits; see moving to Lagos.
Dual citizenship - section 28
- A Nigerian by birth can hold another citizenship and remain Nigerian. Nigerians abroad who naturalise in the UK, the US or anywhere else do not lose their Nigerian citizenship by doing so.
- A Nigerian by registration or naturalisation loses it if they acquire another citizenship, unless they hold that other citizenship by birth.
- When you register or naturalise, you may keep a citizenship you hold by birth. Any other must be renounced within the time the Constitution sets.
Nigerian passports for Nigerians abroad
A child born abroad to a Nigerian parent is Nigerian from birth, and can hold a Nigerian passport alongside a foreign one. Register the birth with the Nigerian mission in that country first.