Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria, has publicly criticised Kemi Badenoch, UK Conservative Party leader and Minister for Business and Trade, for her recent remarks about Nigerian citizenship laws.
In an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, Badenoch claimed she cannot pass on her Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman, arguing that Nigeria’s laws are restrictive and gender-biased.
“It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents. I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman,” Badenoch said.
She contrasted this with what she described as easier access to British citizenship for Nigerians.
Reacting via X (formerly Twitter), Olusegun accused Badenoch of deliberately misrepresenting Nigeria’s constitution and maligning her country of origin.
“Aunty @KemiBadenoch, why do you continue to lie against your motherland?” he wrote.
He cited Section 25(1)(c) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which states that a person born outside Nigeria is a citizen by birth if either parent is a Nigerian citizen, regardless of gender.
Born in the UK to Nigerian parents, Badenoch spent her childhood in Lagos before returning to the UK at age 16. She is married to a Scottish banker and has three children. Based on the constitution, her children automatically qualify as Nigerian citizens by descent, provided she herself is a Nigerian citizen by birth.
Legal experts note that while Nigerian law may impose restrictions on foreign men married to Nigerian women, it does not prevent women from transferring citizenship to their children. Gender becomes a factor only in spousal citizenship applications, not in matters of descent.
Nigeria also recognises dual citizenship for persons who are citizens by birth, as outlined in Section 28(1) of the constitution.
Olusegun’s response underscores the sensitivity around citizenship laws and the importance of accurate public commentary from political figures, particularly those with dual heritage and global influence.
