The Nigerian Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has attacked Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party of Britain for “denigrating” Nigeria in a speech in Abuja, the FT reports. Badenoch was born in London to Nigerian parents and brought to Nigeria where she lived until 16 before returning to London.
The Nigerian Vice President told his audience in Abuja, “Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Conservative party. We are proud of her in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin,” Shettima said on Monday in his address in the Nigerian capital Abuja. “She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the Kemi from her name but that does not underscore the fact that the greatest Black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria.”
Kemi Badenoch: A Forthright Free Market Advocate Versus “Coconut” ?
Kemi Badenoch’s political brand has been built on boldly speaking about issues. In the run up to her campaign to become the Conservative Party leader, she told her interviewer that “not all cultures are equally valid”, a reference to migrant cultures that reserve a subordinate role to women.
She had said during the first campaign to be Tory leader in 2020, “I grew up in Nigeria and I saw first-hand what happens when politicians are in it for themselves, when they use public money as their private piggy banks, when they promise the earth and pollute not just the air but the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others. “I saw what socialism is for millions. It’s poverty and broken dreams. I came to Britain to make my way in a country where hard work and honest endeavour can take you anywhere.” It would seem she was referencing her experience growing up in a country where an economy of state controls has bred mindless corruption and deep poverty to warn the British electorate about the dangers of “socialist” economic policies.
Kemi Badenoch: Crossing Nigeria’s Red Lines
Nigerians are known for their sharp criticism of their country, yet they remain deeply proud of it — a sentiment rooted in the nation’s vast oil wealth and its long-held status as the “Giant of Africa.” This pride endures despite the impact of state-controlled economic policies and the corruption they have fueled, issues that Kemi Badenoch has been vocal about. Her remarks have provoked strong reactions, as reflected in Vice President Shettima’s pointed response: “She is entitled to her own opinions; she even has every right to remove the ‘Kemi’ from her name, but that does not change the fact that the greatest Black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria.”
Many Nigerians continue to defend the state-led economic controls that Ms. Badenoch has criticized for fostering grand corruption and deepening poverty. Critics argue that Britain itself is not free from socialist practices, citing the National Health Service (NHS) as a prime example of state intervention. This has fuelled accusations that Kemi Badenoch is engaging in the same “double standards” often attributed to Western politicians. However, unlike Nigeria’s system of subsidies and state controls, NHS healthcare is funded through a range of taxes paid by British citizens and companies, making it a product of collective contribution rather than state paternalism.
Nigerians, like many other black communities in Britain, often align with leftist activists and politicians who argue that systemic racism within British society hinders black people’s ability to progress. While this view remains popular, it has been challenged by the visible rise of highly successful black professionals in the UK — a group in which Nigerians are notably prominent.
Ms. Badenoch has taken a starkly different stance, praising Britain as a land of opportunity. She has also argued that Britain should not allow itself to be “scammed” by former colonies demanding reparations, contending that many of their challenges are self-inflicted.
By taking this stance, Ms. Badenoch has positioned herself in direct opposition to the unchanging collectivist worldview of a group on race, history, economic opportunities and progress etc. Her views challenge the collectivist mindset that shapes much of the discourse on race, history, and identity within black British communities.
This collectivist expectation places a unique burden on Badenoch, with critics insisting that she should demonstrate loyalty — if not greater loyalty — to her Nigerian roots, even as she pursues leadership in Britain. Many believe she should align with the political beliefs and narratives championed by the ethnic community she was born into.
Responding to this criticism, a spokesperson from her office told the Financial Times, “Kemi is not interested in doing Nigeria’s PR, she is the Leader of the Opposition in the UK.”
