Constitution of Nigeria 1963
Published: 1/Oct/1963
CHAPTER II: CITIZENSHIP
7. (1) Every person who, having been born in the former Colony or Protectorate of Nigeria, was on the thirtieth day of September, 1960, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British protected person shall become a citizen of Nigeria on the first day of October, 1960:
Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Nigeria by virtue of this subsection if neither of his parents nor any of his grandparents was born in the former Colony or Protectorate of Nigeria.
(2) Every person who, having been born outside the former Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, was on the thirtieth day of September, 1960, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British protected person shall, if his father was born in the former Colony or Protectorate and was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British protected person on the thirtieth day of September, 1960, (or, if he died before that date, was such a citizen or person at the date of his death or would have become such a citizen or person but for his death) become a citizen of Nigeria on the first day of October, 1960.
[…]
10. (1) For the purpose of determining the status of persons connected with the part of Northern Nigeria which was not included in the Federation on the thirty-first day of May, 1961, the foregoing provisions of this Chapter and subsection (3) of section 17 of this Constitution shall have effect as if:
(a) for any reference to a particular date there were substituted a reference to the last day of the period of eight months beginning with the day next following that date; and
(b) for any reference to the former Colony or Protectorate of Nigeria (other than the second reference in section 7) there were substituted a reference to the part aforesaid; and
(c) that other reference included a reference to the part aforesaid.
(2) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall prejudice the status of any person who is or may become a citizen of Nigeria apart from that
subsection.
11. Every person born in Nigeria after the thirtieth day of September, 1960, shall become a citizen of Nigeria at the date of his birth:
Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Nigeria by virtue of this section if at the time of his birth:
(a) neither of his parents was a citizen of Nigeria and his father possessed such immunity from suit and legal process as is accorded to an envoy of a foreign sovereign power accredited to the Federation; or
(b) his father was an enemy alien and the birth occurred in a place then under occupation by the enemy.
12. A person born outside Nigeria after the thirtieth day of September, 1960, shall become a citizen of Nigeria at the date of his birth if at that date his father is a citizen of Nigeria otherwise than by virtue of this section or subsection (2) of section 7 of this Constitution.
[…]
Note also section 166:
(1) This Act may be cited as the Constitution of the Federation and, subject to the provisions of section 127 of this Constitution, shall come into force on the first day of October, 1963.
(2) On and after the date mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, Chapter II of this Constitution (except section 10) shall be deemed to have come into force on the first day of October, 1960, and section 10 of this Constitution shall be deemed to have come into force on the first day of June, 1961.
Download: Nigeria Constitution 1963