Vice President Kashim Shettima has criticised the newly elected leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, for making disparaging remarks about Nigeria.
Speaking on Monday at the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue held at the State House in Abuja, the Vice President expressed both pride in Badenoch’s achievements and disappointment in her comments about her country of origin.
He stated, “Kemi Badenoch, leader of the British Conservative Party — we are proud of her despite her efforts to denigrate her nation of origin. She is entitled to her opinions, even her right to remove ‘Kemi’ from her name, but that does not negate the fact that Nigeria is the greatest Black nation on earth. One in every three or four Black people is a Nigerian, and by 2050, Nigeria will be the third most populous nation on earth, alongside the United States.”
The Vice President also underscored the vital contributions of migrants to society and economic growth. He reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s commitment to safeguarding migrants’ rights while honouring their legacies and contributions to national development.
In 2022, Badenoch, a British MP of Nigerian descent and then a contender for the UK Prime Ministership, accused Nigerian politicians of misusing public funds for personal interests. Following her election as Conservative Party leader in November 2024, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), revealed that efforts to establish contact with Badenoch had gone unanswered.