I no longer identify as a Nigerian – Kemi Badenoch

UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has stated that she no longer identifies with Nigeria, the country of her heritage.

Speaking on the Rosebud podcast on Friday, Badenoch revealed that she hasn’t renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s and has gradually distanced herself from the country.

“I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s,” she said. “I’ve never quite felt that I belonged there. 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.”

While she acknowledged that she still follows events in Nigeria, Badenoch said the United Kingdom has always felt more like home, where she lives with her family and political allies.

The 45-year-old was born in Wimbledon, South West London, but spent part of her childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK. She explained that her return was prompted by her parents’ belief that the country offered her no future.

“I think the reason that I came back here was actually a very sad one, and it was that my parents thought, ‘there is no future for you in this country’,” she added.