UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch says she no longer identifies as Nigerian, revealing she has not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s.
Speaking on Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast, Badenoch – who was born in the UK and spent part of her childhood in Nigeria and the US – said that while she has Nigerian ancestry, her identity is firmly British.
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there and I’m interested in what happens there. But home is where my family is now,” she said. “I’m Nigerian by ancestry, but not by identity. Most of my life has been in the UK and I’ve just never felt the need to renew my passport.”
She recalled returning to the UK at 16 in 1996 after her parents concluded there was “no future” for her in Nigeria.
Badenoch described how her experiences in Nigeria shaped her politics, saying the instability and corruption of her childhood explained why she rejects socialism.
“I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there,” she said. “Coming back to the UK felt like coming home.”
She added that she has faced little racial prejudice in Britain: “I knew I’d look different to everyone, but people didn’t treat me differently. It’s why I’m so quick to defend the UK when accusations of racism are made.”
Badenoch previously faced criticism from Nigeria’s vice-president for remarks describing her fear and insecurity growing up in Lagos. He accused her of denigrating Nigeria – a claim her team rejected.