UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has stirred widespread debate after saying she cannot pass her Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman.
Speaking on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS on Sunday, July 20, Badenoch compared UK and Nigerian immigration systems, arguing that the UK is too lenient. When asked if she would encourage a “mini‑Nigeria” in the UK for cultural integration, she replied:
“That is not right. Nigerians would not tolerate that.”She went on to claim:
“It’s virtually impossible to get Nigerian citizenship. I have it by virtue of my parents, but I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.”However, Nigeria’s Constitution (Section 25(1)(c)) contradicts her statement, as it states that anyone born outside Nigeria to at least one Nigerian parent is automatically a citizen by birth.
The comment has sparked heated conversations online, with many Nigerians pointing out that her children are indeed eligible for citizenship through her.
