Ciara Becomes a Citizen of Benin 🇧🇯 Under New Slavery-Descendant Law

In September 2024, the Republic of Benin passed Law No. 2024‑31, a landmark legislation granting citizenship to individuals over 18 who can prove lineage to enslaved ancestors deported from sub-Saharan Africa. Applicants must not already hold African citizenship, and proof can include:

• DNA test results

• Authenticated genealogical testimonies or family records

• Civil documentation confirming ancestry

To streamline the process, Benin launched the digital platform My Afro Origins, which processes applications and charges an approximate $100 fee.

Benin’s approach is shaped by its central role in the transatlantic slave trade, around 1.5 million people were deported via the Bight of Benin, including regions of present‑day Benin, Togo, and Nigeria. Unlike many former slave-trading nations, Benin has openly acknowledged its historical complicity and even offered a formal apology in 1999.

Grammy-winning singer Ciara is among the first high‑profile individuals to receive citizenship under this law. On July 26, 2025, she was officially granted Beninese citizenship at a ceremony in Cotonou, attended by Justice Minister Yvon Détchénou and other officials. At the ceremony, Minister Détchénou described the law as an effort to “heal a historical wound” and give diasporic Africans a sense of belonging and hope.

After the ceremony, Ciara walked the Slave Route to the Door of No Return in Ouidah a deeply symbolic act connecting her to her ancestors’ experience. Ciara shared that the experience was profoundly emotional, a spiritual homecoming blending emotion, reflection, and heritage. 

How Other Black Diaspora Members Can Apply

Who’s Eligible?

• Must be 18 or older

• No existing citizenship from another African country

• Have an ancestor deported via the slave trade from sub-Saharan Africa

What Proof Is Needed?

• DNA test results

• Family records or certified genealogies

• Authenticated testimonies or civil documents confirming ancestry   

How to Apply

• Visit the My Afro Origins platform to submit your application and pay the fee.

Finalization Requirements

• After verification, applicants receive provisional nationality and must visit Benin at least once within three years to complete the process and receive full citizenship.

Benin is among the few nations to openly confront its role in the slave trade and offer legal recognition to descendants an act backed by public apology, UNESCO conferences, and preservation of historical sites like the Tree of Forgetfulness and Door of No Return in Ouidah.

The program is also part of a growing heritage tourism strategy, inviting Afro‑descendants to visit monuments, museums, and historical routes. For many, this experience is deeply meaningful, offering emotional closure while boosting Benin’s cultural ties with the diaspora   .

Benin joins countries like Ghana, which in 2019 launched its “Year of Return” and granted citizenship to hundreds of African American and Caribbean descendants. Other nations including Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are exploring similar diaspora-oriented initiatives.

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