The United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, has stirred conversations following her remarks distancing herself from her Nigerian heritage, stating that she no longer identifies with the country.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the Rosebud podcast hosted by Gyles Brandreth, Badenoch explained that although she has Nigerian ancestry, the UK has become her true home.
“I have not renewed my Nigerian passport since the early 2000s,” she said. “I don’t identify with Nigeria anymore. Most of my life has been in the UK, and I’ve just never felt the need to maintain that [connection].”
Badenoch, who was born in London but spent part of her early life in Nigeria before returning to the UK at age 16, said her parents made the decision for her to leave Nigeria due to concerns about her future prospects there.
“My parents thought, ‘There is no future for you in this country,’” she recalled.
Despite her detachment from Nigerian identity, the top Conservative Party figure acknowledged her personal links to the country through extended family and continued interest in national affairs. She revealed that she had to apply for a visa to attend her father’s funeral in Nigeria due to the expiration of her Nigerian passport.
“I know the country very well. I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there,” Badenoch said, but emphasized that her current life is firmly rooted in Britain.
“Home is where my family is now, my children, my husband, my in-laws. The Conservative Party is very much part of my extended family,” she added.
Badenoch’s comments have sparked mixed reactions, especially among Nigerians at home and abroad, with debates on identity, migration, and the role of the diaspora in national development gaining renewed attention.