Kemi Badenoch, the current leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, has openly stated that she no longer considers Nigeria—a country of her ancestry—as part of her identity.
Speaking during an episode of the Rosebud podcast hosted by Gyles Brandreth on Friday, Badenoch shared personal reflections on her heritage, identity, and sense of belonging.
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She revealed that she has not maintained her Nigerian citizenship documentation for over two decades, emphasizing a fading connection to the country of her roots.
“I have not renewed my Nigerian passport; I think not since the early 2000s. I don’t identify with it [Nigeria] anymore; most of my life has been in the UK, and I’ve just never felt the need to,” she said.
Although she was born to Nigerian parents, Badenoch pointed out that her relationship with the country now exists more through lineage than identity.
She recounted a moment when she had to obtain a visa to visit Nigeria after her father passed away.
“When my dad died I had to get a visa to go to Nigeria. Because I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth despite not being born there because of my parents, but by identity I’m not really,” she added.
Despite this emotional distance, Badenoch acknowledged that Nigeria still holds a place in her heart due to family connections and her interest in the nation’s developments.
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there,” Badenoch said.
However, she made it clear that her life, identity, and family are now firmly rooted in the UK.
“Home is where my now family is, and my now family is my children; it’s my husband and my brother and his children and in-laws. The Conservative Party is very much part of my family, my extended family, I call it.”
Reflecting on her return to Britain at age 16, she shared that her parents had lost faith in Nigeria’s ability to provide a secure future for her, which influenced their decision to send her back to the UK.
“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 said.
