Vice President Kashim Shettima has criticized Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK Conservative Party, over her remarks about Nigeria, accusing her of disparaging her home country.
Shettima addressed the issue on Monday during the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue at the State House in Abuja. He remarked, “Kemi Badenoch, leader of the British Conservative Party, despite her efforts to denigrate her country of origin, we are proud of her.”
He continued, “She is entitled to her opinions; she even has the right to remove ‘Kemi’ from her name, but that does not change the fact that Nigeria is the greatest Black nation on earth. One out of every three or four Black men is Nigerian, and by 2050, Nigeria will be the third most populous nation on Earth, surpassing the United States.”
Badenoch, born in the UK to Nigerian Yoruba parents in 1980, lived in Nigeria before moving back to the UK at the age of 16. Prior to her election as Conservative leader, she had made critical comments about Nigeria, describing it as a socialist nation filled with corrupt politicians and plagued by insecurity.
Badenoch stated, “This is my country. I don’t want it to become like the place I ran away from. I grew up in Nigeria and saw firsthand what happens when politicians serve themselves, using public funds as their private piggy banks, while the political climate is poisoned by their failure to serve the people. I witnessed socialism firsthand, poverty, and shattered dreams. I came to Britain to succeed in a country where hard work and determination can take you anywhere.”
She also shared troubling memories of growing up in Nigeria, recalling, “I grew up in a place where fear was everywhere. You can’t understand it unless you’ve lived it. Triple-checking that all doors and windows were locked, waking up to every sound, listening to my neighbours scream as they were robbed and beaten, wondering if our home would be next.”
Badenoch, who previously served as shadow business and trade secretary, is known for her tough stance on immigration and has downplayed Britain’s colonial past.
