UK Conservative Party leader #KemiBadenoch has claimed she is unable to pass on her Nigerian citizenship to her children because of her gender, sparking renewed debate about dual nationality laws and immigration.

Speaking during an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, the British-born politician, who spent part of her childhood in Nigeria, made the remark while outlining her views on immigration and national identity.

“It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents, [but] I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman,” Mrs Badenoch said.

Her comments were made while discussing the contrast between immigration policies in the UK and those in countries like Nigeria.

Constitutional Contradiction

Legal experts and commentators have since pointed out that her claim is incorrect. According to Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), a person born outside Nigeria is a citizen by birth if either parent is Nigerian.

Section 25(1)(c) of the constitution states:


This implies that both male and female Nigerian citizens have equal rights to confer citizenship on their children.

Badenoch: “Mini-Nigeria” Not Welcome in the UK

In the same interview, Mrs Badenoch dismissed the idea of cultural enclaves, such as a “mini-Nigeria” in the UK, stating it was not appropriate.

“That is not right. Nigerians would not tolerate that. That’s not something that many countries would accept,” she said.

“There are many people who come to our country, to the UK, who do things that would not be acceptable in their own countries.”

She also defended recent efforts by the Conservative Party to toughen immigration policies, saying many immigrants take advantage of the UK’s more permissive systems.

“Loads of Nigerians come to the UK and stay for a relatively free period of time, acquiring British citizenship. We need to stop being naive,” she said.
“That’s why under my leadership, we now have policies to make it a lot harder to get British citizenship.”

Background and Political Views

Mrs Badenoch, 45, was born in Wimbledon, south London, to Nigerian Yoruba parents. She spent parts of her early life in Lagos before returning to the UK at age 16. She is married to a Scottish banker and has three children.

A prominent figure within the Conservative Party, she has served in various cabinet roles and is known for her conservative stance on immigration and culture. Earlier this year, she remarked that she did not want the UK to “become like Nigeria,” which she described as a “poorly governed country where terrible government destroys lives.”

She has previously likened Britain to a hotel, saying it could not continue accepting “everyone,” in criticism of the UK’s immigration framework.

Reactions and Criticism

Her remarks have drawn criticism from Nigerian commentators and members of the diaspora, with many accusing her of misrepresenting Nigerian law and perpetuating a negative image of her country of origin.

Some have also questioned the intent behind her comments, pointing to a pattern of statements critical of immigrants and multiculturalism.