Why Tory leader no longer considers herself Nigerian despite ancestry

WorldPolitics
2 Aug 2025 • 6:16 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

  • Kemi Badenoch has stated she no longer identifies as Nigerian, despite her ancestry.
  • The Conservative leader confirmed she has not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s.
  • Born in Wimbledon in 1980, Ms Badenoch was raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and the United States.
  • She explained her identity is now rooted in her family, stating 'home is where my now family is'.
  • Ms Badenoch was among the last individuals to receive birthright citizenship in the UK before the rules were abolished the following year.

IN FULL