By Gloria Nosa
British Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, has voiced frustration over what she describes as an unfair citizenship disparity between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The UK-born politician, who is of Nigerian descent, revealed that while Nigerians often find pathways to acquire British citizenship relatively accessible, her own children have been denied Nigerian citizenship — despite her heritage.
Speaking at a recent public forum, Badenoch expressed dismay at Nigeria’s nationality laws, which, she says, are unnecessarily rigid and exclusionary toward the children of Nigerians born abroad. The minister explained that her children, who were born and raised in the United Kingdom, are ineligible for Nigerian citizenship because their father is not Nigerian and they were not born in Nigeria — a requirement under existing immigration and nationality guidelines.
“I find it ironic,” Badenoch remarked. “Nigerians can come to the UK, work hard, and within a few years, apply for and receive British citizenship. But my own children, whose mother is Nigerian, are not recognized as Nigerian citizens. Something is fundamentally wrong with that picture.”
The comments have reignited debate over Nigeria’s dual citizenship policies and the treatment of Nigerians in the diaspora. Under current Nigerian law, citizenship by descent is only granted if the applicant’s father or grandfather is Nigerian, a clause many critics argue is outdated and discriminatory, especially in a modern era where family dynamics and global migration have evolved.
Badenoch’s experience underscores the challenges faced by second-generation Nigerians abroad who wish to maintain cultural and national ties to their ancestral homeland but face legal and bureaucratic hurdles. She called on the Nigerian government to reform its citizenship policies to reflect inclusivity and the contributions of the diaspora to the nation’s global image and economy.
“We celebrate Nigeria’s rich culture and the success of its people abroad,” Badenoch said. “But how can we truly promote that identity if the country itself excludes its own children?”
Her remarks have sparked conversations on social media, with many Nigerians both at home and abroad echoing her sentiments. Legal experts and diaspora groups are now urging the Nigerian government to consider amendments to the Constitution or the Nigerian Citizenship Act to allow maternal lineage to count equally in citizenship eligibility.
As Nigeria continues to leverage the strength of its global diaspora, voices like Badenoch’s are putting a spotlight on the urgent need for inclusive, modern, and family-friendly nationality laws — laws that recognize all children of Nigerian descent, regardless of where they are born or the nationality of their other parent.
