The Federal Government on Tuesday announced that it has granted Nigerian citizenship to 335 applicants.
Mrs Lara Oshiomhole, the wife of former Governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomole, who is from Cape Verde, is one of the recipients.
The government said the gesture came after statutory clearance and due diligence by the relevant security agencies.
The Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), who presented the certificates of citizenship to the foreigners, charged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.
Dambazau in his remarks said that 335 applicants were approved by the Federal Executive Council in January, out of the over 500 foreigners that applied.
He explained that 245 of the foreigners approved were granted Citizenship by Naturalisation while 90 were by Registration, mainly foreign women married to Nigerians.
“Let me say that application for the Citizenship of Nigeria which can be by Naturalisation or Registration is provided for in Chapter 3, Sections 26 and 27 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ the minister explained.
The minister said that the approval was part of government’s effort on the “Ease of doing business in Nigeria” and boosting Nigeria’s image in line with international best practice.
Damabazau said the last time such ceremony was conducted was in December 2013 and pledged to ensure its sustenance on an annual basis for proper scrutiny.
