Ciara receives Beninese citizenship in emotional ceremony: ‘I feel incredibly proud’

The singer got emotional when presented with her certificate, which signifies her new Beninese nationality.

Ciara has deepened her connection to the African continent with a Beninese citizenship.

The artist visited the West African country of Benin this week and left with much more than a souvenir. On Saturday, she received a certificate of citizenship in a ceremony with Beninese government officials such as the Minister of Tourism, Jean Michele Abimbola, and the Minister of Justice and Legislation, Yvon Detchenou.

“I feel incredibly proud,” the 39-year-old “Level Up” singer said tearfully during the ceremony. “The significance of this moment is so special.”

The trip to Benin was supported by a collaboration with RollingStone Africa and the tour agency, Explore Benin, which has been documenting the artist’s travels to the country’s largest city, Cotonou, and to Ouidah, where the site of the historical Slave Route trail and Door of No Return is located. In a post welcoming Ciara to the country, Explore Benin wrote, “Ciara walks the land of her ancestors for the first time.”

Ciara joins a tradition of other Black American celebrities who are gaining citizenship on the African continent. In 2020, the rapper Ludacris became a citizen of his wife’s native country of Gabon. He and his children now all have Gabonese nationality.

In another post from Explore Benin capturing Ciara’s citizenship ceremony, the agency said, “This initiative translates the willingness of Benin to assume its historical responsibility, to reconnect with its children scattered around the world, and to make its territory a land of welcome, memory and future.”