Victor Ezeja
In what looks like the United States “Green Card”, the Nigerian government recently introduced the “Brown Card”, a legal document that allows qualified foreign nationals to have permanent residency status in the country.
The then Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, while announcing the introduction of Nigeria’s Brown Card, said the legal document that will henceforth be conferred by the ministry, offers Permanent Residency to qualified non-Nigerians “enabling such beneficiaries to live and work in Nigeria without the requirement of renewal every five years, as was the case.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThis was the Federal Government conferred Nigerian Citizenship on 385 qualified adult foreign nationals from different countries.
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Speaking at the conferment ceremony held at the Nigeria Correctional Service Headquarters, the minister explained that issuing the new legal instrument became imperative as the country now has a high number of foreigners willing to become Nigerians.
Conditions for getting the Brown Card
According to the former Minister of Interior, those who are qualified for this new legal instrument of Permanent Residency are as follows:
- Foreign nationals of African descent who desire to make Nigeria their homeland through the ‘Privilege of Return’
- Foreign nationals who desire to invest in Nigeria in line with established guidelines
- Foreign nationals who had demonstrated exceptional talents, knowledge and skills in rare fields of Science, Technology, Medicine, Engineering, the Arts, Sports and other areas as might be determined from time to time
- Male foreign nationals married to Nigerian women for a minimum period of one year
Challenges
With the new policy in place, there is however, a key challenge to it which has to do with the constitutional obligation of a 15-year continuous residency in Nigeria as an eligibility criterion for granting Nigerian citizenship.
Conclusion
The Brown Card instrument signifies a new era of investment and immigration in Nigeria, offering a clear path to permanent residency for a diverse array of foreign nationals.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
