Nigeria Constitution 1960
Published: 1/Oct/1960
Independence constitution; chapter II contains provisions on citizenship.
CHAPTER II: CITIZENSHIP
Persons who become citizens on October 1, 1960
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.
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Persons born in Nigeria after September 30, 1960
10. Every person born in Nigeria after the thirtieth day of September, 1960, shah 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.
Persons born outside Nigeria after September 30, 1960
11. 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.
Download file: Nigeria Constitution 1960