Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has publicly stated that she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s. Born in the UK but raised in Nigeria and the US, Badenoch returned to the UK at 16 due to Nigeria’s declining political and economic conditions.
Speaking on Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast, she explained that, while she is “Nigerian through ancestry,” she does not consider Nigeria her primary identity, emphasizing that “home is where my now family is.” She also described her experience visiting Nigeria for her father’s funeral, noting she needed a visa due to her lapsed passport.
Badenoch discussed feeling out of place while growing up in Nigeria, recalling that returning to the UK in 1996 “felt like home.” She credited her early years in Nigeria as influential in her political values, particularly her opposition to socialism.
She asserted that she hasn’t experienced significant racial prejudice in the UK and is quick to defend Britain against accusations of racism, saying people there “didn’t treat me differently.”
Last year, Badenoch’s comments about corruption and insecurity in Nigeria drew criticism from Nigerian vice-president Kashim Shettima, who accused her of “denigrating” her country of origin and suggested she had the right to “remove the Kemi from her name.”
Badenoch’s spokesperson maintained that she stands by her opinions and clarified she is “not a PR for Nigeria,” emphasizing her role as the UK Conservative leader.
