The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has lamented the cumbersome process foreigners are subjected to while applying to be citizens of the country.
The PUNCH reports that chapter III of the Nigerian 1999 constitution stated that an individual may become a citizen of Nigeria by birth, registration, or naturalisation.
The constitution further stated that a person applying for the certificate of naturalisation must have resided in Nigeria for, at least, the 15 years preceding the date of his application or preceding his application, he has lived in Nigeria for 12 months, and a period amounting in aggregate to at least 15 years within the 20 years immediately preceding those 12 months.
However, the Minister bemoaned the 15-year residency constitutional requirement as too long, describing it as a disincentive for foreigners who would have loved to become Nigerians and add to national development.
Aregbesola said this explained why after many years the country had been able to grant 286 foreigners citizenship.
He spoke at the first meeting of the 2023 Advisory Committee on Nigerian Citizenship in Abuja.
Members of the committee were drawn from within the ministry and outside the ministry, which includes Nigeria Intelligence Agency, Directorate of Security Service, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Foreign Affairs Ministry and Nigeria Immigration Service.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the Director of Press, Ministry of Interior, Afonja Ajibola said the minister urged the committee to expedite action in the processing of applications for Nigerian citizenship.
He instructed the Committee to fast track the procedures and timeouts recommendations of qualified applicants.
The statement partly read, “Aregbesola said he was looking forward to some changes in the requirements, expedited processing of applications and timeous recommendation of qualified applicants to the president for confirmation.
“The minister added that the applicants for the Nigerian citizenship come from virtually all the nations of the world, many of them evidently more affluent than Nigeria. This shows indisputably that Nigeria has an irresistible attraction for them, in spite of her numerous challenges.
“The minister is concerned that after many years, only 286 were able to cross the huddle to become Nigerian citizens in the exercise completed in September last year at a ceremony presided over by President Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa Banquet Hall.”
Aregebesola maintained that the country received applications on a daily basis from aliens who have so much love for the country and would like to become her citizens.
He said, ” The minister said Nigeria is a very great country and is the envy of many nations , including developed ones. Nigerians all over the world continue to distinguish themselves in academia, the professions, sports and in entertainment.
“Just this weekend, a Nigerian singer, Tems, won a laurel in the prestigious Grammy Awards, in the United States, shooting our nation to global reckoning. She followed a long list of Nigerians that have been so honoured at this zenith of music appreciation and reward event in past years.”
