New York Giants veteran quarterback Russel Wilson expressed his pride and greetings for his wife, Ciara, for claiming her Binenese citizenship.
In a story on his Instagram account, NFL star Russell Wilson shared a post celebrating his wife, Ciara, receiving her Binenese citizenship recently.
“So proud of you baby! @ciara (heart emoji) Africa,” Wilson wrote on his story caption.
“Citizenship in Africa! Queen,” Wilson captioned another Instagram Story.
Ciara, the Grammy-winning R&B artist and wife of NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, was officially granted Beninese citizenship during a ceremony on July 26 in Cotonou, making her one of the first high-profile beneficiaries of a landmark law passed in September 2023.
The legislation allows any person over 18, without existing African citizenship, to claim nationality if they can document an ancestor’s forced removal via the transatlantic slave trade through DNA tests, authenticated testimonies, or family records.
Justice Minister Yvon Déchatou too praised the step as “an act of justice, but also an act of belonging and hope,” emphasizing Benin’s effort to acknowledge its history of involvement in the slave trade and its desire to reestablish ties to the world black community.
After the ceremony, Ciara toured some of the relevant sites to Benin’s history of the slave trade, including the horrific Door of No Return and the Slave Route in the town of Ouidah. In posting to social media, she spoke of the act of walking in her ancestors’ footsteps and said it was “a deep return to what matters most” and reflected on how moving it is to reclaim her roots.
The citizenship initiative is part of a broader national strategy to boost “memorial tourism” at former slave-trading ports and to position Benin as a land of welcome, memory, and future for people of African descent worldwide.
Russel Wilson Gives Honest Impression About Malik Nabers
Quarterback Russell Wilson of the Giants praised rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers for their immediate chemistry this summer, calling their early connection “the real deal” as New York revamped its offense.
Malik Nabers says his relationship with Russell Wilson is “a true quarterback-receiver relationship” 🤝@heykayadams | @Giants | @DangeRussWilson pic.twitter.com/3ca9COAQJk
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 28, 2025
Wilson, a Super Bowl champion and 14-year veteran, praised Nabers’ hands and route-running during padded practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, noting that their initial exchanges appeared like the exchanges of seasoned passing combos.
Wilson’s exuberance highlights New York’s plan to match a proven signal-caller with last year’s breakout rookie, who put up 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
The quarterback told Nabers’s eagerness to learn, on and off the field, helped to expedite their chemistry, predicting that Russel Wilson’s leadership and the rookie’s play-making ability would help usher the Giants into a more dynamic aerial attack in 2025.
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Yelle is a broadcast communications graduate from the University of Perpetual Help-Dalta and has pursued a career in television and news writing in Net 25 and Radyo Agila. Some of her works can also be seen through her previous publication in Fastbreak.com.ph.
