The British Conservative Party Leader and Member of Parliament, Kemi Badenoch, has disclosed that she stopped identifying as a Nigerian a long time ago, despite her family roots.
While featuring on the Rosebud podcast recently, Badenoch revealed she hasn’t renewed her Nigerian passport in over twenty years explaining that she sees no reason to do so.
According to her, her identity is now fully British, shaped by her life, family, and political career in the United Kingdom.
“I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s, I don’t identify with it anymore. Most of my life has been in the UK, and I’ve just never felt the need to. I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth despite not being born there because of my parents. But by identity, I’m not really.”
The 44-year-old Conservative politician was born in Wimbledon, South West London, in 1980 and moved to Nigeria with her parents shortly after. She later returned to the UK as a teenager, which she said was prompted by her parents’ belief that she had no future in Nigeria.
“My parents thought there is no future for you in this country. I never felt I belonged there,” she recalled. “I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there. But home is where my family is now. My children, my husband, my brother and his children, in-laws. The Conservative Party is very much part of my family, my extended family, I call it.”
Badenoch further shared a personal experience when her father, Dr. Femi Adegoke, passed away in 2022. She said she had to apply for a visa to travel to Nigeria for his burial, describing the process as a “big fandango.”
Over the years, Badenoch has drawn criticism for her often blunt views about Nigeria. She’s been accused of distancing herself from her Nigerian heritage and making disparaging remarks about the country. Her latest statement has reignited backlash from prominent Nigerians.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, during a recent event, slammed Badenoch, accusing her of being “more British than Nigerian.” He told her she was free to drop the “Kemi” in her name if she was ashamed of her Nigerian roots.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also rebuked Badenoch, accusing her of peddling false narratives about Nigeria and reminding her that “no one is forcing you to love Nigeria.”
In response to these reactions, Badenoch’s spokesperson said the UK Conservative leader “stands by what she says” and is “not the PRO for Nigeria.”
