By Elizabeth Godwin
UK Business Secretary and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has declared that she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not held a Nigerian passport for over two decades.
Speaking candidly on a podcast, Badenoch, who was born in London but spent much of her childhood in Lagos, stated that while she knows Nigeria well and maintains family ties there, she no longer feels a personal connection to the country.
“I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s,” she said. “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.”
Now a prominent figure in British politics, Badenoch said she considers the Conservative Party part of her extended family and emphasized that her identity is rooted in the UK, not in her ancestral homeland. “I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth despite not being born there because of my parents, but by identity I’m not really,” she explained.
The minister shared a personal anecdote about needing a visa to attend her father’s funeral in Nigeria in 2022, describing the process as “a big fandango,” underscoring her sense of detachment from her parents’ country.
Reflecting on her upbringing in Lagos, Badenoch admitted she never fully felt a sense of belonging, even as a child with dual heritage. “My parents thought, ‘there is no future for you in this country,’” she added.
Badenoch has been a vocal critic of political dysfunction in Nigeria, drawing backlash from some Nigerian politicians. In December, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima suggested she was free to “remove the Kemi from her name” if she was not proud of her Nigerian heritage. Her spokesman responded firmly, saying she “stands by what she says” and is “not the PR for Nigeria.”
Her comments have reignited debate around diaspora identity, loyalty, and the right to criticize one’s ancestral country without being seen as disloyal.
