U.S singer Ciara gets Benin citizenship under new slave descendent law

U.S singer Ciara received her Benin citizenship at a ceremony on Saturday, making her one of the first public figures to benefit from a new law granting citizenship to descendants of enslaved people.

The Grammy-winner's acquisition of nationhood to the small African nation, is part of a broader initiative by Benin to attract the Black diaspora, acknowledge the country’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, and promote tourism focused on slavery-related sites of remembrance.

"The significance of this moment and what it means is so special, so powerful, and I feel inspired", the singer said in her speech at the ceremony.

Benin's Minister of Justice and Legislation, Yvon Detchenou, also spoke at the event where he emphasised the need for new citizens to be ambassadors for culture and defenders of social harmony in the country.

“By reconnecting with your roots, you are repairing a part of the world and offering your society a chance to build, to rebuild itself on these values, on these republican values that we will now share together,” Detchenou said.

On July 23rd, the government appointed acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, as thematic ambassadors to the Afro-descendant diaspora in the United States.

The couple has been tasked with promoting the Beninese government’s programs and initiatives focused on reconnecting Afro-descendants with their roots in Benin through culture, history, and heritage.

Tonya Lewis Lee is also in the process of getting Beninese nationality under the new law.