A United States lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to abolish dual citizenship for American nationals, a move that could affect thousands of Nigerians holding both US and Nigerian passports.Colombian-born US Senator Bernie Moreno announced the proposed legislation, titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, arguing that the current system allowing multiple nationalities creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”
“One of the greatest honours of my life was becoming an American citizen at 18. It was an honour to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good,” Moreno said.
Moreno, who has since renounced his Colombian citizenship, maintains that exclusive allegiance is essential for national integrity.If passed, the bill could affect prominent figures, including US First Lady Melania Trump, who holds both US and Slovenian citizenship, and would significantly impact Nigerians with dual nationality.
According to a July naturalisation flow report by the US Department of Homeland Security, 38,890 Nigerians became naturalised American citizens between 2021 and 2023. Nigeria ranked 13th among countries with the highest number of new US citizens and was the only African nation in the top 20. Nigerian law allows citizens by birth to hold dual nationality without relinquishing their Nigerian citizenship.
This development comes months after former President Donald Trump issued an executive order aiming to deny automatic US citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the country. The order was immediately challenged by 18 states and multiple rights groups for allegedly violating the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. Legal challenges have so far prevented the order from taking effect.
Source: https://punchng.com/
