An American man has taken to social media to express his frustration over the challenging process of acquiring a Nigerian passport, despite being legally married to a Nigerian woman.
In a widely circulated video on social media, he and his wife criticize Nigeria’s immigration policies, particularly those affecting foreign spouses of Nigerian women.
The man highlights a significant disparity in the country’s citizenship laws: foreign women married to Nigerian men can obtain Nigerian citizenship through registration, whereas foreign men married to Nigerian women are ineligible for the same privilege.
This means that while a foreign wife can become a Nigerian citizen by virtue of marriage, a foreign husband must undergo a more stringent process, typically involving naturalization, which requires at least 15 years of residency in Nigeria.
Expressing his discontent, he points out that despite being legally married to a Nigerian woman and having two children together, he continues to face obstacles in becoming recognized as a Nigerian citizen.
His wife also voices her dissatisfaction, labelling the policy as discriminatory and outdated.
The couple urges the Nigerian government to revise its immigration laws to promote fairness and equality, especially in an era where cross-cultural marriages are more prevalent.
This issue stems from Section 26 of the Nigerian Constitution, which allows foreign women married to Nigerian men to acquire citizenship by registration.
However, it does not grant the same right to foreign men married to Nigerian women, reflecting a gender-based disparity in the nation’s citizenship laws.
The video has ignited discussions online, with many Nigerians echoing the couple’s sentiments and calling for reforms in the nation’s immigration and citizenship laws. Critics argue that such gender-based disparities are inconsistent with principles of equality and non-discrimination.
Efforts have been made to address these issues; for instance, in 2022, Nigerian women protested the rejection of pro-equality bills by the parliament, which included provisions to allow foreign husbands of Nigerian women to gain citizenship.
Unfortunately, these bills were not passed, highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving gender equality in Nigeria’s legal framework.
In response to these challenges, organizations like the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights have been advocating for the amendment of discriminatory nationality laws worldwide, including those in Nigeria.
Their efforts focus on ensuring that both men and women have equal rights to confer nationality on their spouses and children.
