‘Nigerians Easily Become UK Citizens, While I Can’t Pass Nigerian Citizenship to My Children’ – Kemi Badenoch
UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has sparked debate over immigration policies and citizenship laws, claiming that while Nigerians find it relatively easy to become British citizens, her own children are barred from acquiring Nigerian citizenship—simply because she is a woman.
Badenoch made the remarks during an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS on Sunday, where she contrasted the British immigration system with those of other countries, using Nigeria as a prime example.
“It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship,” she said. “I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents; I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.”
The UK politician, who was born in Wimbledon to Nigerian parents and spent part of her childhood in Lagos, expressed frustration at what she described as an imbalance and exploitation of systems.
“Yet loads of Nigerians come to the UK and stay for a relatively free period of time, acquire British citizenship. We need to stop being naive.”
Badenoch’s comments appeared to question the UK’s comparatively generous naturalisation process, while also condemning gender-based discrimination embedded in Nigerian nationality laws.
Under Nigeria’s existing legislation, citizenship by descent is primarily passed down through the male line, making it difficult for Nigerian women married to foreign nationals to confer citizenship to their children, unlike their male counterparts.
Her remarks have since reignited conversations around gender inequality in citizenship rights and raised eyebrows over immigration reform rhetoric in the UK.
While some hailed Badenoch’s boldness in tackling both British immigration policy and Nigeria’s outdated laws, critics accused her of stoking anti-immigrant sentiments ahead of a potentially heated election season.
The dual-national lawmaker has frequently positioned herself as a reformer, urging for “fairness” and “common sense” in public policy—especially around migration.
As the UK grapples with immigration control and Nigeria continues to face calls for gender-equal constitutional reforms, Badenoch’s comments may fuel policy debates on both sides of the world.
