Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 52,000 military service members from various countries were granted U.S. citizenship, with Nigeria ranking fourth in this category.
During this period, 3,270 Nigerians earned U.S. citizenship through military service, trailing only citizens from the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico (3,670).
The analysis from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) highlighted that service members from the Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Ghana made up over 38 per cent of all military naturalizations during these years.
The next five leading countries—Haiti, China, Cameroon, Vietnam, and South Korea — accounted for another 16 per cent.
The number of Nigerian service members gaining U.S. citizenship steadily increased year on year, from 340 in 2020 to 930 in 2024. The Army was the dominant branch, with 60 per cent of all military naturalizations, followed by the Navy (20.4 per cent), Air Force (10.6 per cent), and Marine Corps (6.6 per cent).
In terms of age, half of the naturalised service members were between 22 and 30 years old, with a median age of 27.
Men represented 73 per cent of those naturalised, though the percentage of female service members has been gradually increasing.
