I don’t identify as Nigerian any more
By: | Published: 2025-08-02 05:35:00 | Source: www.bbc.com
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her passport since the early 2000s.
Badenoch, who was born in the UK, grew up in both Nigeria and the US. She returned to England aged 16 because of Nigeria’s worsening political and economic climate, as well as to continue her education.
Speaking on former MP and television presenter Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast, she said she was “Nigerian through ancestry” but “by identity, I’m not really”.
Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria’s vice-president, who said she had “denigrated” the West African country.
Badenoch, who previously lived in Lagos, spoke at length about her upbringing on the podcast.
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very…
