286 Britons, Lebanese, Italians and others obtain Nigerian citizenship

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The federal government announced the granting of citizenship by naturalization and registration to 286 foreign nationals from 49 countries.

In an infomercial signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, and made available to Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, the granting of the Nigerian citizenship was approved by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired) on 9 February 2022.

According to the document titled "Ministry of Interior Announcement", while 208 of the beneficiaries would be granted citizenship by naturalization, 78 of them would be granted citizenship by registration in a ceremony chaired by the president at the presidential villa on Thursday.

The beneficiaries are 108 Lebanese, 16 Italians, 14 British, five Nigeriens and two Chadians.

Also included are nationals of Egypt, United States, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Greece, India, Dominican Republic, France, Palestine, Australia, Scotland, Pakistan, Jordan, Cyprus and Ireland.

Other beneficiaries are nationals of Turkey, Germany, Israel, Uganda, Liberia, Iran, China, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Iraq, Croatia, Spain, Philippines, Cameroon, Congo, Eritrea and Sierra Leone, Mali and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Foreign nationals from Serbia, Kenya, Belarus, Somalia, Romania, Zimbabwe, Ukraine and Ethiopia have also been listed as beneficiaries.

The document urges award winners to "personally visit the Home Office, Block F, Former Federal Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Business to obtain appropriate documentation and accreditation from Monday".