UK Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch has restated that she no longer identifies as Nigerian, despite her heritage and early life in the country.
Speaking during an appearance on GB News — a clip of which was shared on TikTok on Tuesday — Badenoch emphasised that her primary identity is British, and called on politicians to prioritise domestic issues.
“The BBC may have written that headline, but it is accurate,” she said. “My main identity is as British. That’s how I see myself.”
She went on to clarify: “Nigeria is a nationality, not an ethnicity. There’s no language called Nigerian — the country is made up of many different ethnic groups.”
she said, “I think that as a politician in this country, we need to be very focused on what is happening here, not what’s happening elsewhere. And every day, I see loads of Labour MPs in particular talking about every other country except the UK.
“If you come to this country, you need to be very focused on making sure that you integrate. And if you’re a politician, you need to be 100% focused on British issues. And that’s basically what I was saying.”
Badenoch’s clarification reaffirms her earlier comments on August 1, during the Rosebud podcast with Gyles Brandreth, where she disclosed that she hadn’t renewed her Nigerian passport in over 20 years and no longer identifies as Nigerian.
Watch Video: https://x.com/onejoblessboy/status/1952822773589721321?s=46