My kids can't get Nigerian citizenship, but Nigerians easily become UK citizens - Kemi Badenoch

UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has sparked controversy after claiming she cannot pass Nigerian citizenship to her children because of her gender.

In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Badenoch, who was born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian parents, argued that Nigeria’s immigration system is far stricter than the UK’s and even discriminatory against women.

“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.”

Badenoch used the claim to draw a contrast between British and Nigerian policies, insisting that the UK needs to tighten its immigration policies. She also accused some immigrants of exploiting the system.

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“There are many people who come to our country, to the UK, who do things that would not be acceptable in their countries,” she said.

Asked if she would allow a Nigerian immigrant to create a “mini-Nigeria” in the UK for cultural integration, her response was sharp: “No. That is not right. Nigerians would not tolerate that.”

However, her remarks have drawn criticism and fact-checking. According to Section 25(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution, any child born abroad to a Nigerian parent, male or female, qualifies for citizenship by birth.

Born in 1980 in the UK, Kemi spent much of her early life in Nigeria before returning at age 16. She later married Hamish Badenoch, a Scottish banker, and now has three children.

The controversial political figure is known for her tough stance on immigration and recently declared it would be “a lot harder” for immigrants to acquire British citizenship under her leadership.

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