UK Conservative Minister Kemi Badenoch has reiterated that she no longer sees herself as Nigerian instead as a British, despite her roots and formative years spent in the country
Speaking during a recent appearance on GB News, the British lawmaker clarified that her primary identity is British and called on politicians to prioritize local concerns over foreign affairs.
“The BBC may have framed the headline a certain way, but it’s true—my main identity is as British. That’s how I see myself,” Badenoch said in the interview, which was shared on TikTok on Tuesday.
She explained further, “Nigeria is a nationality, not an ethnicity. There’s no language called ‘Nigerian’—the country is made up of various ethnic groups.”
Badenoch also stressed the importance of national focus in politics, saying, “As a politician in this country, my job is to focus on what’s happening here in the UK. I see a lot of Labour MPs constantly speaking about issues in other countries instead of ours.”
“If you come to this country, you should integrate fully. And if you’re in politics, your focus should be 100% on British issues,” she added.
This renewed stance follows her earlier remarks on the Rosebud podcast with Gyles Brandreth on August 1, where she disclosed that she had not renewed her Nigerian passport in over two decades.
“I’m Nigerian by ancestry and birthright because of my parents—even though I wasn’t born there. But when it comes to identity, I don’t really identify as Nigerian. I know the country well, I have family there, and I care about what happens, but that’s where it ends,” she said.
Badenoch, who was born in Wimbledon in 1980, spent part of her childhood in Nigeria and the United States before returning to the UK at age 16. She was among the last individuals to receive UK birthright citizenship before legal reforms under Margaret Thatcher in 1981.
She has previously sparked controversy with her criticism of Nigeria, once describing it as a country “where fear is everywhere.”
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Change your name then
Good for you