A total of 1,372 Nigerians have successfully secured asylum in the United States over the past three years, according to recent case-completion data from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
The numbers show a mixed trend, with a peak of 514 asylum grants in 2023, but a 25% decline in the subsequent year, 2024, with 383 Nigerians receiving asylum.
Notable among the asylum recipients is 12-year-old Nigerian chess prodigy Tani Adewumi, who, after fleeing Boko Haram threats, gained protection in New York in late 2022.
Another prominent recipient is LGBTQ activist Edafe Okporo, who was granted asylum in 2024 after detailing life-threatening violence in his home country.
Despite these successes, the EOIR data also revealed that at least 1,534 Nigerian asylum seekers had their claims rejected in the same period. The number of denials dropped by 56% from 2022 to 2024, from 603 to 265.
In comparison to other African countries, Nigerians had the most asylum claims in the U.S. in 2022 and 2023, but by 2024, Cameroonians surpassed them with 527 claims.
According to the EOIR, U.S. law requires applicants to prove a “well-founded fear” of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
However, many applicants face rejection due to issues such as criminal convictions, filing deadlines, or inadequate legal support.
While many applicants from Latin America and Eurasia dominate the asylum statistics, African countries like Nigeria continue to have a significant presence in the asylum system.
