Baron Chymaker, a UK-based Nigerian lawyer , has revealed that he has officially commenced the process of renouncing his Nigerian citizenship.
According to Chymaker, his Nigerian attorney verified that they had sent his application and the necessary fees to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
He revealed this in a post on X on Thursday.
Taking to his X handle Baron Chymaker wrote, “I have today received a confirmation from my lawyer in Nigeria that my application to renounce my Nigerian citizenship has been submitted to the SGF and all fees paid as appropriate. I cannot wait for the approval.”
Chymaker is well-known for his opinions on cryptocurrency on the X platform, international law, and legal practice in the UK and Nigeria.
He regularly attacks elements of Nigeria’s legal system, especially the concept of judicial precedent. Chymaker previously linked certain results in election tribunal cases to the inappropriate use of stare decisis in Nigerian courts.
Additionally, he has emphasized on his social media platform that Nigerian-trained solicitors should take higher courses or consider practicing in more developed countries.
The SGF’s office had not released a statement regarding Chymaker’s application as of the time of this story
Similar Cases
Baron Chymaker’s case however is not the first of its kind. According to a 2023 study by Premium Times, over 300 Nigerians have renounced their Nigerian citizenship in the last 16 years, with over half of them renouncing last year, an official said Thursday.
The ministry of Interior permanent secretary, Mr Shuaib Belgore disclosed this, adding that “Down to those Nigerians who renounce their citizenship, so far we have registered a total of 309.”
Speaking to reporters at the State House in Abuja, Mr. Belgore stated that 150 Nigerians renounced their citizenship between 2006 and 2021, and 159 did so in 2022 alone. He did not explain why they had given up their citizenship. Nonetheless, Nigerians have been migrating in large numbers in recent years, and some have applied to become citizens of other nations.
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Backstory…
In recent years, several professionals, academics and public figures have announced plans to renounce or reconsider their Nigerian citizenship, citing persistent insecurity, economic hardship, weak institutions and what they describe as declining confidence in governance.
The trend has coincided with an unprecedented surge in emigration—popularly known as the “Japa” movement—as thousands of Nigerians have relocated to the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and other countries in search of better opportunities.
