Citizenship Crisis: Kemi Badenoch Fumes Over Nigeria’s Law, Slams UK For ‘Too Much Immigration

UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has revealed that she is unable to pass on Nigerian citizenship to her children due to gender-based restrictions in Nigerian law.

Speaking during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, Badenoch contrasted Nigeria’s immigration policies with those of the UK, expressing concern over what she described as the UK’s overly permissive immigration system.

She argued that many immigrants exploit the UK’s hospitality in ways that would be unacceptable in their own home countries.

“There are people who come to the UK and behave in ways that wouldn’t be tolerated where they’re from,” she said.

When asked whether she supports cultural integration that allows immigrants to recreate their native societies in the UK, Badenoch firmly rejected the idea.

“That’s not acceptable. Nigerians wouldn’t allow that in Nigeria, and many other countries wouldn’t either,” she said.

To underscore her point, she highlighted her personal experience with Nigeria’s restrictive citizenship laws, stating:

“I can’t even pass Nigerian citizenship to my children because I’m a woman. I have it through my parents, but I can’t confer it on them.”

She criticized the contrast with the UK, where she says Nigerian immigrants often obtain citizenship with relative ease.

“Meanwhile, many Nigerians come to the UK, stay for a while, and get citizenship easily. We can’t continue to be this naive,” she added.

Badenoch, who shares three children with her husband Hamish Badenoch, also stated that she would push for tougher requirements for acquiring British citizenship if she were to become Prime Minister.

Born in London in 1980 to Yoruba parents, Badenoch spent her early years in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16. She has served in various cabinet positions under former Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak between 2022 and 2024, prior to assuming leadership of the Conservative Party.