At least 176,537 Nigerians were granted British citizenship between 2005 and the first quarter of 2026, making Nigeria the leading African nationality and the third-highest globally over the period.
Nigeria ranked behind only India, with 428,577 citizenship grants, and Pakistan, with 321,580. South Africa followed Nigeria among African countries with 128,156 grants, while Somalia recorded 86,972.
The figures are contained in the UK Home Office’s citizenship datasets, published as part of its Immigration System Statistics release for the year ending March 2026.
The dataset covers grants of British citizenship through naturalisation and registration, broken down by year, quarter, application type, nationality, sex and age, from the first quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2026.
During the same period, Nigerians submitted 201,077 applications for British citizenship, the highest number among African nationalities and the third-highest worldwide. India recorded 459,678 applications, while Pakistan had 355,113.
The citizenship figures come months after The PUNCH reported that the UK issued 2,723,558 entry visas to Nigerians between 2005 and the first quarter of 2026, while rejecting 1,344,595 applications during the same period.
The latest data provide an indication of the number of Nigerians who, after travelling to, working or settling in the UK, eventually obtained British citizenship.
Citizenship grants to Nigerians remained between about 6,900 and 9,800 annually for much of the previous decade before rising sharply to 12,562 in 2024, representing a 41.1 per cent increase from the 8,900 grants recorded in 2023.
The figure rose further to 12,620 in 2025, while 3,001 Nigerians were granted British citizenship in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
Applications also increased significantly in recent years, rising from 9,454 in 2022 to 10,668 in 2023, 12,530 in 2024 and 15,370 in 2025, the highest annual figure recorded in the period.
A further 4,449 applications were submitted by Nigerians in the first quarter of 2026.
Earlier data showed that Nigerian citizenship applications stood at 5,720 in 2004 before increasing to 8,794 in 2005. They subsequently fluctuated between roughly 5,400 and 10,800 annually over the following 15 years.
By application type, naturalisation based on residence accounted for the largest share of citizenship grants to Nigerians, with 58,680 grants, representing 33.2 per cent of the total.
Registration of minor children followed with 34,979 grants, or 19.8 per cent, while naturalisation based on marriage to a British citizen accounted for 20,583 grants, or 11.7 per cent.
Registration on other grounds accounted for another 8,219 grants, representing 4.7 per cent of the total.
The figures also showed a near-even gender distribution. Women accounted for 88,364 grants, or 50.06 per cent, compared with 88,073 grants, or 49.88 per cent, for men.
Adults aged between 30 and 49 constituted the largest age group, with 55,559 grants, representing 31.5 per cent of the total. Children under 18 accounted for 41,453 grants, or 23.5 per cent.
Nigeria’s 176,537 citizenship grants represented 19.3 per cent of the 912,818 grants issued to all African nationalities combined during the period, and 4.8 per cent of the 3,696,104 grants recorded worldwide.
Other leading African nationalities included South Africa with 128,156 grants, Somalia with 86,972, Zimbabwe with 85,883, Ghana with 75,133, Eritrea with 34,794, Mauritius with 30,444, Sudan with 29,113 and Kenya with 28,719.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 24,045 grants, followed by Egypt with 23,924, Algeria with 20,324, Uganda with 17,796, Sierra Leone with 17,068 and Morocco with 13,546.
Globally, the top 10 nationalities by citizenship grants were India, Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, the Philippines with 121,916, Bangladesh with 107,938, Poland with 94,744, Sri Lanka with 88,070, Somalia and Zimbabwe.
Under current UK rules, most adult applicants seeking British citizenship must first obtain indefinite leave to remain and have lived in the UK for at least five years. They are also generally required to pass the Life in the UK test, meet an English language requirement and satisfy the Home Office’s “good character” requirement.
The good character assessment considers factors including criminal history, immigration compliance and financial conduct.
The requirements have become more restrictive in recent years. Home Office guidance introduced on February 10, 2025, states that applicants who entered the UK illegally, or arrived without a valid visa or electronic travel authorisation after what the guidance describes as a “dangerous journey,” including by small boat or concealed in a vehicle, will normally be refused citizenship.
The policy was updated on April 30, 2026, to clarify that illegal entry should generally be disregarded where it occurred outside an applicant’s control, including cases involving children or victims of trafficking.
It also states that recognised refugees protected under Article 31 of the 1951 Refugee Convention should not be refused citizenship solely on the basis of such entry.
However, the policy is facing a legal challenge. The High Court granted permission for a full judicial review of the guidance, with a three-day hearing held in June 2026 before the Divisional Court.
Following the hearing, the Home Office withdrew citizenship refusals in three of the four lead cases, according to Wilson Solicitors, the firm representing the claimants.
The broader policy, however, remains in force for new applicants pending the court’s full written judgment.
