The Grammy-winning performer's acquisition of citizenship at a ceremony in the city of Cotonou 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.

Singer Ciara gains Benin citizenship under Afro-descendant law, honoring slave trade history and Black diaspora heritage.

Imagine discovering a path back to your ancestral homeland, a place where history whispers through ancient routes and memorials. For many descendants of enslaved Africans, this is becoming a reality in Benin,