Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicates that 6,831 Nigerian-born individuals acquired Canadian citizenship between January and June 2025, representing 25.9 per cent of all new citizens from the continent.

This figure is more than three times higher than any other African nation.

In total, 26,286 Africans were granted Canadian citizenship during the period, with Nigerians making up more than a quarter of that number, the highest among all African countries.

Morocco (1,835), Algeria (1,831), and Tunisia (1,538) followed closely, each contributing more than 5 per cent of the total, underscoring Canada’s growing appeal to French-speaking migrants from North Africa.

Countries such as Eritrea (1,283), Cameroon (1,276), Ethiopia (1,163), Egypt (1,158), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (1,081) also featured prominently, reflecting the diverse mix of economic, educational, and humanitarian motivations driving African migration to Canada. South Africa had 832 new citizens, representing 3.2 per cent of the total.

The figures point to both the scale and diversity of migration flows from across the continent, from West Africa’s economic migrants to North Africa’s francophone professionals and East Africa’s refugee diaspora.

The figures mirror a broader trend of African mobility towards countries offering stronger economic prospects, education opportunities, and political stability. For Nigeria, the exodus reflects both the success of Canada’s immigration-friendly policies and the persistent challenges at home, including limited job opportunities, currency instability, and rising insecurity which continue to push young professionals to seek better prospects abroad.

Canada’s flexible visa-to-residency pathways, favourable post-study work options, and active recruitment of skilled workers made it one of the most attractive destinations for African migrants.

Crackdown on immigration surge, exploitation

The latest figures highlight Canada’s enduring appeal to African migrants drawn by its education system, labour opportunities, and political stability. For many Nigerians, emigration to Canada is synonymous with social mobility, professional recognition, and long-term security, a reflection of both Canada’s historically open immigration stance and Nigeria’s ongoing economic headwinds.

However, this surge comes as the Canadian government moves to tighten its immigration policies in response to growing domestic pressure on housing shortages, strained public services, and integration challenges.

Justin Trudeau’s, Canada’s prime minister has faced criticism for what some Canadians describe as unsustainable immigration growth. While the country remains one of the world’s most immigrant-friendly nations, it is now seeking to moderate the pace of arrivals to ensure infrastructure and social systems can keep up.

Recently, Canada unveiled sweeping reforms to its immigration system, with the federal government announcing plans to reduce both temporary and permanent immigration levels over the next three years. The move is to stabilise population growth, ease pressure on housing and infrastructure, and curb abuses within the system.

Trudeau admitted that Canada’s population had grown at ‘baby boom speed’ in the last two years, largely driven by a surge in temporary residents, international students and foreign workers, who were admitted after the pandemic to fill critical labour shortages.

“Our population has grown really fast, like baby boom fast,” the prime minister said, explaining that while the influx helped Canada avoid a post-pandemic recession, it also exposed loopholes that have since been exploited by “bad actors like fake colleges and big chain corporations.”

According to him, the government’s mistake was allowing temporary migration to expand unchecked while focusing primarily on permanent immigration targets. “Historically, we only planned for permanent residents, but temporary immigration, which used to be small, grew rapidly after the pandemic. We needed workers fast, and we brought them in. It was the right call at the time.”

However, he acknowledged that the sudden boom in population, fuelled by short-term work and study permits, has strained housing, healthcare, and social systems. “Looking back, when the post-pandemic boom cooled, we could have acted quicker and turned off the taps faster,” he admitted.

The new Immigration plan is to pause population growth for the next two years, followed by a gradual increase from 2027 onwards. The minister said the government would now “lower the number of new immigrants coming into Canada, both temporary and permanent, while prioritising skilled permanent residents such as healthcare and construction workers.

“We’re making the system work for Canadians and for newcomers, rather than for the big box stores, chain restaurants, and sham colleges that exploit it”, he said.

The government also pledged tougher oversight on international education and work permits. Officials cited instances of fraudulent institutions charging foreign students tens of thousands of dollars more for the same degree, and employers using temporary work schemes to get around hiring Canadian workers.

According to Trudeau, the reforms will also address asylum abuse, as temporary residents whose visas expire and attempt to use the asylum system as a shortcut to stay in Canada will have their claims rigorously reviewed, and have unsuccessful applicants repatriated.

Although provinces like Ontario are experiencing chronic labour shortages especially in manufacturing and healthcare, Trudeau insisted that the new policies will give Canadian communities ‘breathing room’. (BusinessDay, excluding headline)