The Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has stated that Nigeria will not pressure Kemi Badenoch, the newly elected leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, to embrace her Nigerian heritage.
Dabiri-Erewa, whose office supports the interests of Nigerians abroad, revealed that NiDCOM has reached out to Badenoch multiple times without receiving a response.
“It’s up to her to identify with her Nigerian roots. We have reached out once or twice, but we don’t force anyone to embrace being Nigerian,” Dabiri-Erewa said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, when asked if the government has recognized Badenoch’s achievement.
“If you acknowledge the Nigerian part of you and want to collaborate with us, we’re open to everyone. But we cannot force anyone to recognize their Nigerian heritage. You may recall the case of Miss Universe Nigeria in South Africa—she identified with Nigeria only after facing challenges there, and we welcomed her here. If you have that blood, you are a Nigerian.”
Dabiri-Erewa emphasized that the choice ultimately rests with Badenoch. “It’s Kemi’s decision whether she appreciates her Nigerian heritage or wants to engage with Nigeria, but we can’t compel anyone.”
On Saturday, the Conservative Party elected Badenoch as its leader, succeeding Rishi Sunak, who stepped down following the party’s poor results in the July general election.
At 44, Badenoch won the leadership contest, receiving 57 percent of the votes from party members in a race against former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
As the first Black leader of a UK-wide political party, Badenoch expressed it was an “enormous honor” to take on the role but acknowledged that “the task ahead of us is challenging.”
“We must be honest about past mistakes” and “uphold higher standards,” she said.
“It’s time to get to work and bring renewal.”
Born in London in 1980, Badenoch spent much of her childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, and the United States, where her mother worked as a lecturer.
She returned to the UK at 16 to live with a family friend after Nigeria’s political and economic challenges impacted her family.
