UK Business Secretary and Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has stirred widespread reactions following her bold revelation that she no longer identifies as Nigerian.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Badenoch, who was born in London and raised partly in Lagos, disclosed that she has not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s and no longer feels a personal connection to the country.
“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,” she said.
Badenoch acknowledged her Nigerian ancestry and upbringing but emphasized that her identity is now firmly rooted in the United Kingdom.
“The Conservative Party is very much part of my family, my extended family, I call it. I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth despite not being born there because of my parents, but by identity I’m not really,” she stated.
She further revealed that when her father, Femi Adegoke, passed away in 2022, she needed a visa to travel to Nigeria—a situation she described as “a big fandango.” Reflecting on her time growing up in Lagos, Badenoch admitted that she often felt out of place.
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there… but home is where my now family is,” she said, adding that her parents believed there was no future for her in Nigeria.
Badenoch has drawn criticism from Nigerian commentators in the past for her forthright opinions about Nigeria’s political system, particularly her comments on corruption and authoritarian tendencies. In December, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima fired back at her remarks, saying she could as well “remove the Kemi from her name” if she wasn’t proud of her heritage.
Her spokesperson later responded, saying the minister “stands by what she says” and is “not the PR for Nigeria.”
The latest comments have reignited debates on identity, nationalism, and the responsibilities of diaspora Nigerians, with opinions sharply divided across social media. While some Nigerians see her statement as honest and practical, others view it as a disavowal of her roots.
