BY REGISTRATION

Welcome to another enlightening session on Knowledge Tent!!!!
In our last discussion, we learnt about Citizenship by birth and how it can be acquired. This time, we’d be learning on Nigerian Citizenship by Registration.

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) in its Section 26 provides for citizenship by registration. Thus all hope is not lost even if one has no blood relation with a Nigerian Citizen by birth!

This Section is subject to the provision of Section 28 of the 1999 CFRN which borders on Dual Citizenship, however, Section 26 explains that a non-Nigerian can be granted a Citizenship by Registration by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria if the president is satisfied that the individual concerned that:

• Is of good character: The good character of an individual ought to be testified by two individuals, one of which should be a religious minister. This also entails that the person is a law-abiding citizen who has not acted in contravention to the laws governing the country.
• Has shown a clear desire to be domiciled in Nigeria: This can be achieved by being a member of an organisation, which religious or cultural ; constitentlynlaying taxes among others
• Has taken the Oath of Allegiance: This is contained in the 7th Schedule to the Constitution and it indicates his loyalty and patriotism to Nigeria.

This section however does not apply to all classes of non-nigerians but rather two explicitly stated categories of individuals, that is:
1. A foreign woman married to a Nigerian man
2. A person of full age (18 years), capacity, born outside of Nigeria and if either of his/her grandparents were citizens of Nigeria.

This provision of the Constitution can be said to be limiting as it does not provide for foreign men who are married to Nigerian women and the other category only applies to an individual of Nigerian descent.
Although one may positively argue that the citizenship of the grandparent need not be by birth, it still does not diminish the limiting factor of this section.
This provision has been challenged and although Bill has been made to amend it such that it applies to foreign men also yet until the Bill is passed into law, foreign spouses to Nigerian women would have to live under other classes of individuals living in Nigeria such as permanent visitors.

Thank you for engaging our blog today!

Join us next time as we learn more on Citizenship

Until next time!!

Writer: Olayinka Aderinwale

Editor: Esther Ude