by President Muhammadu Buhari has conferred a total of 286 foreign nationals with the status of Nigerian citizenship, following an approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Out of these deserving persons who signed to be Nigerians, 86 are Lebanese, 14 Britons, and 4 Americans.
208 persons were conferred citizenship status by naturalization, while the remaining 78 by registration after they officially recited the oath of allegiance and the Nigerian national pledge during the ceremony held at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to immediately issue them with certificates as appropriate to enable them to start enjoying the status conferred on them wherever they reside in the country.
The President urged them to endeavour to make positive contributions to the communities they reside in.
He maintained that the ceremony was a constitutional requirement aimed to remove the tag of “statelessness” on every bonafide citizen of the country.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola said that the foreigners had gone through a series of thorough checks by the nation’s security agencies before being considered qualified and deserving Nigerian citizenship.
He said the Federal Government was determined to encourage and give recognition to other qualified foreigners in the country to make Nigeria a destination of choice for investment opportunities.
The Minister urged them to guide their privileged status and contribute their quota to facilitate the development of Nigeria in general.
Source: radionigeria
