In a statement that has sparked both debate and reflection, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch recently said she no longer identifies as Nigerian, despite her Nigerian ancestry and upbringing.
Speaking on Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast, Badenoch shared deeply personal insights into her identity, early life in Nigeria, and the journey that shaped her political beliefs.
“I’m Nigerian by ancestry, but not by identity.”
Kemi Badenoch, who was born in the UK and raised in both Nigeria and the United States, returned to the UK at age 16. Her family made the move due to Nigeria’s worsening political and economic conditions at the time, seeking better opportunities and a stable environment for education.
While reflecting on her experiences, Badenoch stated:
“I’m Nigerian through ancestry… but by identity, I’m not really.”
She also revealed she has not renewed her Nigerian passport 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.”
Despite distancing herself from a Nigerian identity, Badenoch emphasised that her ties to the country remain strong through family and heritage.
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there,” she said. “But home is where my now family is.”
Her comments are resonating across different communities, especially among diaspora Africans who face similar identity struggles.
Badenoch spoke about how her formative years in Nigeria shaped her political views, particularly her rejection of socialist ideologies:
“I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there.”
She recalled the emotional decision to leave Nigeria in 1996:
“It was that my parents thought: ‘There is no future for you in this country.’”
During her visit to Nigeria for her father’s funeral, she needed a visa, a process she described as “a big fandango.” This further symbolised her emotional and bureaucratic detachment from the country of her roots.
“People didn’t treat me differently in the UK.”
Addressing the issue of racial identity and prejudice, Badenoch described her experience growing up in the UK:
“I knew I was going to a place where I would look different to everybody… but people didn’t treat me differently.”
She credited the UK with offering her a sense of belonging and fairness that she did not experience in Nigeria, reinforcing her strong identification with British society and values.
Reactions from Nigeria: “Denigrating her nation of origin?”
Badenoch’s comments have not gone unnoticed in Nigeria. In late 2024, she faced backlash from Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, who accused her of denigrating her nation of origin. His statement came in response to Badenoch’s remarks about the fear, insecurity, and corruption she experienced growing up in Nigeria.
In defence, a spokesperson for Badenoch dismissed the criticisms, emphasising that her views were based on personal experience rather than an attack on the country.
Identity, Belonging, and Complexity
Kemi Badenoch’s candid reflections touch on broader questions of identity, migration, and belonging. For many in the diaspora, the struggle between ancestral heritage and adopted identity is deeply personal and often complicated.
Her statement—“I no longer identify as Nigerian”—will continue to ignite conversations about what it means to be from a place, how identity is formed, and how much of it is choice versus heritage.
READ MORE: UK Makes eVisas Compulsory for International Students and Foreign Workers
Whether one agrees with Kemi Badenoch or not, her story underscores the complexities of dual heritage, particularly for children of immigrants. In a world that increasingly values inclusion and multiculturalism, voices like hers, raw, controversial, and reflective, offer essential perspectives on modern identity.
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