Kemi Badenoch Declares She No Longer Identifies as Nigerian

Business Secretary and prominent Conservative Party figure Kemi Badenoch has publicly stated that she no longer identifies as Nigerian, citing a lack of personal connection and a life primarily lived in the United Kingdom.

Speaking on a recent podcast, Badenoch revealed that she has not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s and no longer feels a sense of belonging to the country where she spent part of her childhood.

“I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s,” Badenoch 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.”

Badenoch, who was born in London and raised in Lagos, acknowledged her Nigerian heritage and close family ties to the country but emphasized that her identity is now rooted firmly in Britain.

“I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth despite not being born there because of my parents, but by identity I’m not really,” she added. “Home is where my now family is.”

The senior minister also recounted logistical challenges when travelling to Nigeria following her father’s death in 2022, describing the visa application process as “a big fandango.” She noted that while she grew up in Lagos, she never felt fully accepted there.

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

Badenoch's comments have reignited discussion around identity, diaspora ties, and public loyalty to one’s country of origin. She has previously drawn criticism from some Nigerian officials for her forthright remarks on corruption and governance issues in Nigeria.

In December, Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima publicly rebuked her comments, suggesting she was free to “remove the Kemi from her name” if she was not proud of her heritage. Badenoch’s spokesperson at the time responded that she “stands by what she says” and is “not the PR for Nigeria.”

Badenoch, often regarded as a rising star in the Conservative Party, has consistently spoken about her British identity and political alignment, describing the party as part of her “extended family.”

Her remarks have stirred both support and criticism online, reflecting wider debates on identity, belonging, and diaspora responsibility among people with dual heritage.