UK Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch has said that she no longer identifies as Nigerian, stating that her sense of identity now lies fully with the United Kingdom.
Speaking on the Rosebud podcast, Badenoch—who was born in Wimbledon to Nigerian parents and spent much of her early life in Lagos—disclosed that she had not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s.
“I don’t identify with it anymore,” she said. “Most of my life has been in the UK, and I’ve just never felt the need to.”
While acknowledging her Nigerian heritage, Badenoch explained that her idea of home is shaped by where her immediate family resides.
“I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth despite not being born there, because of my parents. But by identity, I’m not really,” she said. “Home is where my now family is—my children, my husband, my brother and his children, and in-laws.
“The Conservative Party is also very much part of that extended family.”
Born in 1980, Badenoch was among the last children to automatically receive British citizenship before a change in UK immigration law.
Her family returned to Nigeria shortly after her birth, and she grew up in Lagos before moving back to the UK at 16—a decision her parents encouraged due to limited prospects in Nigeria.
“I never quite felt like I belonged [in Nigeria],” she recalled, noting that discovering her British citizenship set her apart from many of her peers at the time.
Over the years, Badenoch has drawn criticism from some Nigerian quarters for her blunt commentary on issues like corruption and governance. At one point, a Nigerian vice-president even suggested she could drop the “Kemi” from her name if she was ashamed of her roots.
Her office responded that she “stands by what she says” and is “not the PR for Nigeria.”
Reflecting on her move to the UK, Badenoch said she did not face significant racial discrimination and remains a vocal defender of the country.
“I didn’t experience prejudice in any meaningful form,” she said.
“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist—but I didn’t, not seriously.”
Discussing her political journey, Badenoch described the Conservative Party as an “extended family with lots of drama,” adding that party disputes often resemble typical family disagreements.
“Much of what we do goes beyond party policy—it’s instinct. We recognise each other, and we squabble like any big family would,” she said. [The Star]
