Back to: Civic Education Primary 6
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Citizenship and Nationalisation
Meaning of Citizenship
Citizenship therefore is the legal right a person has to belong to a particular society. Legal right means certain laid down conditions that enhance the citizenship of a person in a country.
Not everyone that resides in a particular country is a citizen of that country.
Who is a Citizen?
A citizen is a person who has the legal right to belong to a particular country or society. A citizen is a person who is a legal member of a country and owes allegiance to that country.
Types of Citizenship
- Citizenship by birth
- Citizenship by marriage or registration.
- Citizenship by naturalization.
- Citizenship by descent.
- Citizenship by exploits or honorary citizenship.
Citizenship by Birth
If a person is born in a country where his parents are citizens, the person automatically acquires the citizenship of that country by birth. In Nigeria, this means that such a person must be born in Nigeria and one of his or her parents must be a citizen of Nigeria.
On the other hand, if a person is born outside of Nigeria and either of the parents is a citizen of Nigeria, such a person is a citizen of Nigeria.
Citizenship by Marriage or Registration
Citizenship can also be acquired through marriage. This is a method by which women acquire citizenship through marriage. If a Ghanaian woman is legally married to a Nigerian man, she can become a citizen of Nigeria by registration.
A foreign child adopted by Nigerian parents can also become a Nigerian citizen by registration.
Citizenship by Decent
This is a method whereby a person claims citizenship of another country as a result of the fact that his grandparents are citizens of the country. For example, a man whose father is a Togolese might choose to be recognized as a citizen of Nigeria because his grandmother is a Nigeria.
Citizenship by Exploits or Honorary Citizenship
This is a when citizenship of a country is granted to a distinguished or eminent foreigner without the usual requirement as a mark of honour. Some Syrians, Lebanese and other foreigners who have distinguished themselves in different fields of national life have been accorded this honour.
Qualifications For Citizenship
These are qualifications or conditions an individual has to satisfy before he could become a citizen of another country.
However, these conditions are not the same in countries. Here are some of the qualifications.
- Statutory age
- Good character
- Residence (duration and acceptability
- Making contributions towards the progress of the country
- The willingness to live and stay
Quiz
- Define the term Citizenship.
- Name and explain two types of citizenship.
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