‘I’m no longer Nigerian’- UK Minister Kemi Badenoch disowns roots

UK Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, has renounced her Nigerian identity, saying she doesn’t feel Nigerian and hasn’t held a Nigerian passport for over 20 years.

Badenoch, who was born in the UK but spent part of her childhood in Lagos, said on a podcast that she has completely disconnected from Nigeria.

“I have not renewed my Nigerian passport since the early 2000s,” she said. “I don’t identify with it anymore… Most of my life has been in the UK.”

According to her, Nigeria is now more of a place she once knew, not where she belongs.

“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there… but home is where my now family is.”

The British politician added that when her father died in 2022, she had to apply for a visa to travel to Nigeria. “It was a big fandango,” she said.

She also claimed she never felt fully Nigerian, even when she lived in Lagos.

“My parents thought, ‘there is no future for you in this country’.”

Badenoch has drawn criticism in the past for her harsh comments about corruption and leadership in Nigeria. Vice President Kashim Shettima once told her to “remove the Kemi from her name” if she was ashamed of her heritage.

But her spokesperson hit back, saying she’s “not the PR for Nigeria” and stands by her comments.