The My Afro Origins Law · Republic of Benin
Since 2024, Benin grants any descendant of a deported person the right to become a Beninese citizen, through an online, open procedure, with no residency requirement. This page explains what the law says, and nothing more.
What the law says
A law, not a promise
Adopted in 2024, the law known as "My Afro Origins" enshrines in Beninese law the recognition of nationality for descendants of people deported during the Atlantic slave trade. This is not an image campaign, it is a legal text.
An open, online procedure
The application is filed on the official portal of the Beninese government: myafroorigins.bj. Announced cost: about 100 dollars. No obligation to reside in Benin to apply or to keep the nationality.
A public precedent
In 2024, American singer Ciara obtained Beninese nationality through this path, the move was widely covered, giving Benin a visibility the law itself did not yet have.
A gesture few countries offer
Ghana, the historic reference for roots tourism, naturalizes case by case, through ceremonial waves. Benin is the first country in the region to turn this gesture into a right accessible through a procedure open to all.
Important: After Vodundays and ONG Wa Afriki are not involved in the citizenship procedure. We do not provide legal advice and do not act as a substitute for the official portal of the Beninese government. For any question about your file, contact myafroorigins.bj directly.
What we can offer
A nationality on paper does not replace memory. It is here, in Ouidah, that the port from which the ships departed still stands, and it is here that a Fa consultation can tell you what no administrative document can: a lineage, a guardian deity, a path. Before or after your citizenship process, After Vodundays remains the same thing: real access, built since 2019 by an ONG from the city itself.
ONG Wa Afriki · N°0108/MISP · Ouidah, Benin
Whether or not you begin the citizenship process, access to Ouidah, guardian families, ceremonies, Lineage Session, remains open. Reply within 24 hours.