UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch says she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s.
Speaking on the Rosebud podcast hosted by former MP Gyles Brandreth, Badenoch said, “I’m Nigerian through ancestry… but by identity, I’m not really.” She explained that although she has strong ties to the country, including family connections and past experiences living in Lagos, she considers the UK her home.
Badenoch, who was born in the UK and spent parts of her childhood in Nigeria and the US, said she returned to Britain at age 16 due to Nigeria’s worsening political and economic situation. “It was that my parents thought: ‘There is no future for you in this country,’” she said.
She added that her experiences in Nigeria influenced her political beliefs, particularly her opposition to socialism. “I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there,” she noted.
Badenoch also recalled needing a visa to enter Nigeria after her father died, describing the process as “a big fandango.” She said she had not felt compelled to renew her Nigerian passport since settling in the UK.
The minister said she had not faced “racial prejudice in any meaningful form” in Britain, adding: “People didn’t treat me differently… it’s why I’m so quick to defend the UK whenever there are accusations of racism.”
Last year, her comments about fear and insecurity in Nigeria drew criticism from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who said she had “denigrated” her country of origin. A spokesperson for Badenoch later dismissed the backlash.
