Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has strongly criticised British Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch for making what she described as “false and misleading” statements about Nigerian citizenship laws.
Badenoch, who currently serves as the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, recently claimed in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that Nigerian law prevents women from passing citizenship to their children. “I can’t give [Nigerian citizenship] to my children because I’m a woman,” Badenoch had stated during the interview.
Reacting to the statement during an appearance on Hard Copy, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, Dabiri-Erewa dismissed the claim as “a lie” and “an unfair representation” of Nigeria's legal framework. She cited Section 25(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, which clearly stipulates that a child born abroad is entitled to Nigerian citizenship if either parent is a citizen—regardless of gender.
“You go on international media and spin a lie that is not even true,” Dabiri-Erewa said. “When you denigrate your country, we will respond. You cannot lie about your country and expect us to keep quiet.”
The NiDCOM boss further noted that Badenoch has consistently distanced herself from her Nigerian roots and made divisive statements in the past. In 2024, Badenoch reportedly described Northerners in Nigeria as “ethnic enemies” and claimed to only identify with her Yoruba background—a statement that sparked widespread outrage.
Vice President Kashim Shettima was among those who criticised Badenoch’s divisive rhetoric, contrasting her stance with that of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is known for embracing his Indian heritage with pride.
Dabiri-Erewa also disclosed that NiDCOM had made several attempts to engage with Badenoch through official channels, but all efforts were ignored. Nonetheless, she stressed that the commission does not force anyone to identify as Nigerian. “We don’t beg people to love their country. If you don’t want to accept being Nigerian, that’s your personal decision,” she said.
She concluded by calling for more balanced representation of Nigeria in the international space and encouraged Nigerians in the diaspora to embrace their identity with pride rather than propagate misinformation.