The Nigerian government has stated that a total of 38,051 foreigners applied for the country’s citizenship from September 2018 to October 2020.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this at the 4th Quarter 2020 Public-Private Partnership Units’ Consultative Forum of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies hosted by the Ministry of Interior.

He said the ministry recorded a total of 45,751 business applications and 38,051 citizenship applications from September 2018 to October 2020, which led to an improvement in income generation for the government by the ministry. 

Belgore at the event called on the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, to consider professionalisation of the Public-Private Partnership Unit in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.

He said that the call for professionalising the PPP Units in all MDAs had become necessary, especially with the infrastructure gap bedeviling the country as well as to ensure continuity, reduce public sector administrative cost, allows for shared risk; reduce the problem of public sector budget constraints and to also provide for easy monitoring of PPP projects across the country.