UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has sparked debate after claiming her children cannot obtain Nigerian citizenship because she is a woman, while many Nigerians, she argued, easily gain British citizenship.
Speaking in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, Badenoch questioned the fairness of the immigration systems in countries like Nigeria compared to the UK. She argued that many immigrants take advantage of Britain’s relatively open immigration policies, calling for a tougher approach.
When asked whether she would support immigrants creating a “mini-Nigeria” in the UK in the name of cultural integration, Badenoch firmly rejected the idea, saying such behaviour wouldn’t be tolerated in Nigeria or in many other countries.
“There are many people who come to our country, to the UK, who do things that would not be acceptable in their countries,” she said.
Citing her personal experience, Badenoch claimed that her children cannot receive Nigerian citizenship despite her own citizenship status. “It’s virtually impossible to get Nigerian citizenship,” she said. “I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents. I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.”
She contrasted this with what she described as the ease with which many Nigerians acquire British citizenship after only a short stay in the UK, arguing that the UK must stop being “naive.”
However, her statement has been challenged by legal experts. Section 25(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution clearly states that a person born outside Nigeria is entitled to citizenship by birth if either parent is Nigerian — regardless of gender. This suggests that Badenoch’s children are indeed eligible for Nigerian citizenship through her.
Badenoch, born in 1980 in the UK to Nigerian parents, spent much of her early life in Nigeria before returning to the UK as a teenager. She later married Scottish banker Hamish Badenoch and adopted his surname.
Known for her firm stance on immigration, Badenoch reaffirmed in the interview that under her leadership, acquiring British citizenship would become significantly more difficult.
