Foreign nationals seeking to make Nigeria their permanent home or invest in the country can now become citizens through a legal instrument called “The Brown Card.” The announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola during a ceremony to naturalize 385 foreign nationals from different countries.
Aregbesola confirmed that the highest number of naturalized citizens in the country’s history was approved by the Buhari administration. The government aims to attract foreign investors, resourceful individuals, people with rare talents and unbounded energy to the country and lay a solid socio-economic and political foundation that will elevate Nigeria into one of the world’s 20 biggest economies.
The constitutional requirement of continuous residency in Nigeria for 15 years has been identified as the bane of the smooth pathway to Nigerian citizenship by Aregbesola, which he described as “a huge disincentive.” This contrasts with European and American countries where young and resourceful brains are absorbed “through easy pathways” with citizenship obtained within five years. To smooth the path to Nigerian citizenship, relevant institutions have been urged to consider reducing the number of years in the next effort at the constitutional amendment.
Aregbesola, in his announcement, introduced “The Brown Card” as the legal instrument to Permanent Residency. The Minister of Interior is now invested with the authority to confer Permanent Residency on non-Nigerians. Beneficiaries of the Permanent Residency are eligible to live and work in Nigeria without the need for renewal every five years as was previously required.
Foreign nationals of African descent that desire to make Nigeria their homeland through the “Privilege of Return”; foreign nationals that wish to invest in Nigeria in line with established guidelines; foreign nationals with talents, knowledge, and skills in Science, Technology, Medicine, Engineering, the Arts, Sports, and other areas to be determined; and male foreign nationals married to Nigerian women for a minimum period of one year are eligible for Permanent Residency under the new system.
The Minister of Interior further stated that specific details for application and processing would be announced later by the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
With the implementation of the new system for Permanent Residency, Nigeria is positioning itself as a competitive investment destination and a land of abundant possibilities where individuals can fulfill their dreams and contribute to its growth.