At least 34,289 Nigerians became naturalised U.S. citizens between 2020 and 2022, according to the latest Naturalisations Annual Flow Report released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The report, compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, ranked Nigeria 15th among the top 20 countries of birth for new American citizens within the three-year period.

Naturalisation — the legal process through which immigrants acquire U.S. citizenship — saw a 58.8% increase among Nigerians during this time. In 2020, 8,930 Nigerians were naturalised. The number rose to 10,921 in 2021 and reached an all-time high of 14,438 in 2022.

Nigeria led African nations in U.S. naturalisations, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo. Africa also recorded the fastest regional growth, with a 40% increase in 2022.

Globally, Mexico, India, and the Philippines topped the list of naturalised citizens. The report notes that African immigrants typically spend six years as lawful permanent residents before naturalisation — one year less than the global median.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which oversees the naturalisation process, evaluates applicants based on residency, language proficiency, civics knowledge, and background checks, among other statutory requirements.