Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima has accused UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch of denigrating her country of origin, marking a rare critique of a Nigerian diaspora member who has risen to prominence abroad.
Speaking in Abuja during a migration-focused address, Shettima expressed pride in Badenoch’s achievements while condemning her portrayal of Nigeria. “She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the Kemi from her name, but that does not underscore the fact that the greatest Black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria,” Shettima declared.
His remarks were a pointed response to Badenoch’s past statements about Nigeria, where she lived until age 16. The Conservative leader has criticized the country’s governance, corruption, and socialism, citing her experiences growing up there as formative in her political ideology.
During her 2022 bid to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader, Badenoch said: “I grew up in Nigeria and I saw first-hand what happens when politicians are in it for themselves, when they use public money as their private piggy banks… I saw what socialism is for millions. It’s poverty and broken dreams.”
Shettima contrasted her approach with that of former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, stating: “Rishi Sunak… never denigrated his nation of ancestry nor poured venom on India.”
This is not the first time Badenoch has faced backlash from Nigerian officials. The head of Nigeria’s diaspora commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, recently criticized her lack of engagement, saying, “We’ve reached out to her once or twice without any response. We don’t force people to accept being Nigerian.”
A senior Nigerian presidential adviser echoed these sentiments, telling the Financial Times that many Nigerians are offended by Badenoch’s descriptions of their homeland, which they believe unfairly cast it in a negative light.
Responding to the criticism, a spokesman for Badenoch stated: “Kemi is not interested in doing Nigeria’s PR, she is the leader of the opposition in the UK.”
The exchange highlights the tensions surrounding identity and representation in global politics, especially for diaspora figures navigating the expectations of both their homeland and adopted country.
