Grammy-winning US artist Ciara has officially become a citizen of Benin under a new law offering nationality to descendants of enslaved Africans.
The singer received her documents during a ceremony in Cotonou, and the government confirmed she accepted citizenship with “pride.”
Ciara, known for chart-topping hits like Goodies and 1,2 Step, shared on Instagram: “I am honoured. Thank you Benin for opening your arms and your heart to me.”
The citizenship was granted through Benin’s recently enacted My Afro Origins Law, which allows individuals with ancestral ties to the transatlantic slave trade to claim Beninese nationality. The government described the moment as “symbolic, humane and historic,” calling it “a gesture of the soul” and “a return to one's roots.”
Benin, once a hub of the West African slave trade, hopes the law will reconnect with the African diaspora and encourage cultural tourism. The coastline, historically known as the Slave Coast, was a major departure point for enslaved Africans transported to the Americas.
Between 1580 and 1727, the Kingdom of Whydah—located in present-day Benin—is estimated to have exported over one million people to the United States, the Caribbean, and Brazil.
Ciara is among the first public figures to take part in the initiative, joining recent cultural efforts such as the appointment of American filmmaker Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee as Benin’s diaspora ambassadors.
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