The Federal Government has introduced the ‘Brown Card’ as a new legal instrument for permanent residency for eligible foreign nationals as it conferred Nigerian Citizenship on 385 deserving adult foreign nationals from different countries.
In his remarks at the conferment ceremony which was held at the Nigeria Correctional Service Headquarters, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, announced the arrival of Nigeria’s Brown Card after the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council.
“I am happy to announce the Brown Card, as the legal instrument to Permanent Residency. The Minister of Interior is now invested with the authority to confer Permanent Residency on non-Nigerian persons, enabling such beneficiaries to live and work in Nigeria without the requirement of renewal every five years, as was the case.
The legal instrument that would confer this newly created status is to be called the Brown Card. Those who are qualified for this new 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; and Male foreign nationals married to Nigerian women for a minimum period of one year,” Aregbesola revealed.
