Arthur Okonkwo’s nationality switch from England to Nigeria has been officially approved, according to a report from the country.
Nigerian outlet PM News reports that FIFA has officially approved the nationality switch of former Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo from England to Nigeria.
24-year-old Okonkwo had represented England during his youth career, playing for the u15s, u16s, u17s, and u18s between 2015 and 2018.
But with no further call-ups since then, Okonkwo has decided to switch allegiances and make himself eligible for Nigeria. Though he was born in England, Okonkwo’s parents are from Nigeria, hence his eligibility for the change.
The Nigeria Football Federation are yet to confirm when Okonkwo might receive a call-up, with AFCON already ongoing and Nigeria failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. But he’s available now if they need him.
The NFF reportedly became interested in Okonkwo after following his progress in recent seasons, with the goalkeeper spending the last two-and-a-half campaigns with Wrexham.
Okonkwo initially joined Wrexham on a loan move from Arsenal in the summer of 2023, before signing permanently in 2024. He first joined the club when they were in League Two, but he’s now helped them all the way up to the Championship.
Okonkwo has continued to play a regular role in the Wrexham team since their arrival in the English second-tier, starting their last 21 Championship games in a row.
It may not be too long before the former Gunner gets a chance in the Premier League, with Wrexham in and around the play-off places at the time of writing. That would surely only strengthen his case for future Nigeria appearances.