Kemi Badenoch's Misleading Claims About Nigerian Citizenship

Strategic Insights -

Kemi Badenoch's recent remarks about Nigerian citizenship have sparked outrage, particularly among Nigerians living in the United Kingdom. In her attempt to appeal to the British electorate, she made several claims that have been debunked as utterly false. According to Badenoch, it is virtually impossible to acquire Nigerian citizenship, and she even went as far as to say that she cannot pass on her Nigerian citizenship to her children due to her gender. However, this claim is contradicted by the Nigerian Constitution, which states that every person born in Nigeria, regardless of their parents' citizenship, is a Nigerian citizen. Furthermore, the Constitution explicitly prohibits the denial of citizenship based on gender or any other factor. Badenoch's comments have been thoroughly debunked by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, who has highlighted the contradictions in her claims and the clear provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

Key Takeaways:

  • Kemi Badenoch's claims about Nigerian citizenship are entirely misleading, with no basis in fact.
  • According to Section 25(b) and (c) of the Nigerian Constitution, every person born in Nigeria with at least one parent or grandparent as a citizen is a Nigerian citizen.
  • Section 42(2) of the Nigerian Constitution explicitly prohibits the denial of citizenship based on gender or any other factor.
  • Badenoch's children, like herself, are Nigerian citizens by virtue of being born to Nigerian parents.
  • The Nigerian Constitution allows for the acquisition of citizenship through naturalisation or registration, with certain conditions to be fulfilled (Sections 26 and 27).
  • The Constitution requires urgent amendment to address patriarchal biases, such as the unequal treatment of women married to Nigerian men versus men married to Nigerian women.

Statistics:

  • As of 2025, there are over 3 million Nigerians living in the United Kingdom (National PopulationTexCoord).
  • The Nigerian Constitution has undergone several amendments since its inception in 1999, with the latest amendment in 2017 (Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution).
  • As of 2025, the Nigerian National Assembly has not addressed the urgent need for amending sections of the Constitution that perpetuate patriarchal biases (Tribune Online).

Sources:

  • Vanguard, 2025. "Kemi Badenoch's Misleading Claims About Nigerian Citizenship."
  • Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).