The average Nigerian cannot get a mortgage because our financial rating as a country is a red flag. A second citizenship maximizes your opportunities."
What do Michael Martin and Zuberu Kadiri have in common? The head of the Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit is a citizen of the twin-island nation. As is RIF Trust, part of Latitude Group, Nigeria Country Manager, Zuberu.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship-by-Investment programme is the original CBI. It has become the prototype, especially amongst fellow Caribbean countries. With visa-free access to 155 countries including the EU Schengen Zone and the UK, Saint Kitts and Nevis’ strong passport has led to the country being ranked the joint-best Citizenship-by-Investment programme in the world.
Our clients have become fond of Saint Kitts and Nevis and we have established rock-solid relations with the country’s Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). Zuberu Kadiri is the latest chapter in our Caribbean citizenship story. He tells all in an intriguing case study.
Zuberu is a fortysomething married father of two boys aged eight and 12. “My first son was born in Cameroon, and my second son in Nigeria,” he reveals. Zuberu describes himself and his wife as pro-Africans “plagued by the limitations the average African has with global mobility.”
“It became my passion to fix that problem”, he explains. “Global Access Advocate, that is what I call myself.” Zuberu’s parents are naturalized Americans and his siblings naturalized Brits.
Zuberu did not want to relinquish his Nigerian base, however. “My wife and I want to continue living in Africa but we do not want our kids to face the same problems we have been dealing with all our lives”, he states. A Caribbean citizenship appeals because you do not have to relocate to an island to obtain a second passport.
With St Kitts and Nevis citizenship, Zuberu has more reach for his entrepreneurial activities. As well as working for RIF Trust, Zuberu maintains his own business interests along with his wife. “Visa-free access to countries like Türkiye was important to us.”
Running a concept store, they want to expand imports and exports. Retail production is their focus, along with fashion and manufacturing. As a boutique operation, they prefer to tap into European markets rather than China.
His Nigerian compatriots face a 40-day wait for a visa to allow them to travel to the UK. For “privileged” Zuberu, it takes a mere four hours. “If I did not have a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport,” he reasons, “I would not be able to sit in the RIF Trust Dubai Office as I am doing now.”
“When I made up my mind to acquire a second citizenship,” outlines Zuberu, “I started to look for an organization that catered for the African market.” He found RIF Trust. Zuberu’s interest was piqued.
Then a chance social media encounter accelerated his CBI process. “A friend of mine lives in Dubai and I commented on his post,” recalls Zuberu. “Teka, who I never knew from Adam, replied which is beyond coincidence.”
Teka Rilwan Jibril is the RIF Trust Africa Regional Director. Teka’s industry knowledge and transparency impressed Zuberu. After onboarding, he talked himself into a new job with RIF Trust.
“The most valuable currency of the 21st century is global access,” insists Zuberu. “Freedom of movement is our biggest need.” “We all require the ability to move away from danger and into opportunity.”
When talking about second citizenship, Zuberu can get philosophical. “We all wear an identity that none of us choose,” he elaborates. “We choose the cars we drive and the clothes we wear.”
What a new passport delivers is what Zuberu calls “SPEED”. “As in Security, Privilege, Exemption, Endowment, and Dynasty Planning.” These are “the major factors in wealth preservation” Zuberu never tires of telling his clients.
If you want to motor your way to a second citizenship like Zuberu, get in touch with us. We look forward to helping you realize your immigration investment dreams. Don’t delay, contact us today.
We carry out the initial Latitude Group due diligence. Zuberu duly signs the client agreement, completes the necessary government forms, and provides the required supporting documentation.
The Latitude Group legal and processing teams carefully reviews Zuberu's application before submitting it. The Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) conducts thorough due diligence on Zuberu to verify that he meets requirements.
Zuberu receives his Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, confirming his new status. In the past three months, his new passport has taken Zuberu to 10 countries.
Zuberu loved the RIF Trust onboarding so much, he bought into the company. Now Country Manager, he wants to help fellow Africans achieve their global mobility dreams. Zuby to his friends, he talks about investment migration with informed enthusiasm.