UK Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch Says She No Longer Identifies With Nigeria

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK Conservative Party, has revealed that she no longer sees herself as connected to Nigeria.

Speaking on the Rosebud podcast on Friday, Badenoch disclosed that she hasn’t renewed her Nigerian passport in over two decades, stating: “I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s.”

Reflecting on her identity, the 45-year-old politician said, “I’ve never quite felt that I belonged there. 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.”

Although she still maintains an interest in Nigerian affairs, Badenoch noted that she feels more at home in the UK, where she lives with her family and has built her political career.

Born in Wimbledon, South West London, she spent part of her early life in Nigeria before returning to the UK—a move she said was influenced by her parents’ concerns about her future prospects in the country.

“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.