07/30/2025
Ciara Becomes One of the First Descendants Granted Citizenship by Benin 🇧🇯
American music icon Ciara (full name Ciara Princess Wilson) has formally become a citizen of Benin, under a landmark law passed by the West African nation in September 2024, which grants citizenship to people who can trace their ancestry to those enslaved during the transatlantic slave trade .
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, in a ceremony held in Cotonou, Ciara received her citizenship documents from Benin’s Justice Minister Yvon Détchénou, marking a symbolic and historic moment . She joins the first public figures to benefit from this initiative.
What the New Law Entails
• The law offers citizenship to individuals over 18 who do not already hold African citizenship and can prove lineage to an ancestor deported via the slave trade from sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Acceptable proof includes DNA tests, authenticated testimonies, and family or historical records.
• The government also launched “My Afro Origins”, a digital platform to process applications
