Nigeria and Ghana have emerged as the two African countries with the highest number of nationals in United States federal prisons, according to a document detailing inmates across the continent.
The data showed that 46 African countries account for a total of 914 inmates currently serving various sentences in US federal correctional facilities as of May 22, covering offences such as drug trafficking, fraud, burglary and cyber-related crimes.
Nigeria topped the list with 283 inmates, representing 30.8 per cent of all African nationals in US federal prisons, making it the highest contributor by a wide margin.
Ghana followed with 71 inmates, accounting for 7.7 per cent, while Somalia ranked third with 68 inmates, or 7.3 per cent of the total African prison population in the United States.
Sudan placed fourth with 55 inmates, followed by Kenya with 49. Egypt and Liberia recorded 43 and 42 inmates respectively, while Ethiopia, Cameroon and South Africa had 40, 28 and 24 inmates each.
The report further showed that Morocco, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Congo and Angola also featured on the list with varying numbers of inmates, while several other African countries recorded fewer than 10 cases each.
Among countries with minimal representation, Rwanda, the Central African Republic and Benin had three inmates each, while nations such as Guinea-Bissau, Gabon and Burkina Faso recorded two inmates apiece. Others, including South Sudan, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Djibouti and Botswana, had one inmate each.
The document attributed the figures to offences ranging from financial crimes, romance scams and drug-related offences to other forms of cross-border criminal activity involving African nationals in the United States.
Officials quoted in the report argued that Nigeria’s large population partly explains its dominance on the list, noting that the country’s diaspora presence in the US is significantly higher than many other African nations.
However, analysts warned that the figures could have broader reputational implications for Africa, potentially influencing migration policies, visa screening processes and international perceptions of African migrants.
Experts also cautioned that the data should be interpreted in context, noting that millions of Africans living in the United States remain law-abiding residents, students and professionals contributing positively to the economy.
They further observed that while the numbers may appear significant in absolute terms, they remain relatively small when compared to the overall African immigrant population in the United States.
