Nigeria: Federal government grants citizenship to 335 foreigners after 4-year suspension
Published: 12/Jan/2017
Source: Legit.ng
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, January 11, granted citizenship to 335 foreigners and disqualified 165 others after a 4 year suspension.
Abdulrahman Dambazzau, the minister of interior, revealed this to State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dambazzau said before granting the citizenship, the council approved recommendation of an advisory committee comprising representatives of the Department of State Services and Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice.
He further said the committee had received over 500 applications for citizenship, out of which 335 were recommended. The minister explained that of those granted, 245 applied for citizenship by naturalisation and 90, by registration.
He noted that in considering all the applications, the committee adhered to relevant provisions of the constitution.
In 2013 the federal government granted Nigerian citizenship to 174 foreigners while the applications of 27 persons were rejected.