Statelessness and Citizenship Rights in Nigeria: The Case of Borderland Communities in Kebbi State

This research investigates the phenomenon of statelessness and its human rights implications for borderland communities in Kebbi State, Northwest Nigeria, situated along the porous border with Niger Republic. Statelessness, defined as the condition of not being recognized as a national by any state, leaves affected individuals without access to education, healthcare, employment, property rights, and legal protection. Nigeria's Citizenship and Immigration Act and constitutional nationality provisions are examined alongside the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The study employs qualitative field research, conducting key informant interviews with borderland community leaders, immigration officers, UNHCR field personnel, and individuals documenting their statelessness in Argungu and Yauri local government areas. Secondary data from the UNHCR Global Trends Report and Nigerian Civil Registration Authority are also analyzed. Findings reveal that thousands of individuals in border communities, many of Fulani and Hausa ethnicity crossing the Nigerian-Niger border over generations, lack birth certificates, national identity documents, and formal nationality status, leading to effective statelessness. The study identifies weaknesses in Nigeria's civil birth registration system as a primary enabler of statelessness. Recommendations include mobile civil registration campaigns, simplified nationality determination procedures, and accession to the statelessness conventions. Keywords: statelessness, citizenship, Kebbi State, UNHCR, civil registration.