Kemi Badenoch Decries Gender-Based Citizenship Law in Nigeria: “My Children Can’t Obtain Nigerian Citizenship Because I’m a Woman”
United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has voiced concerns over Nigeria’s gender-discriminatory citizenship laws, revealing that her children are unable to inherit her Nigerian citizenship solely because she is a woman.
In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, Badenoch compared immigration laws between the UK and Nigeria, highlighting what she described as glaring inequalities in how citizenship is passed down based on gender.
“I have Nigerian citizenship by virtue of my parents,” Badenoch said. “But I can’t pass it on to my children because I’m a woman.”
The British lawmaker pointed to this legal restriction as part of a broader issue of gender inequality in immigration systems across the world.
She contrasted it with the more lenient British policies, which she said have historically allowed many Nigerians to settle and acquire citizenship with relative ease.
“We need to stop being naive,” Badenoch added. “That’s why, under my leadership, we are introducing tougher immigration policies. It’s been too easy to gain British citizenship.”
Her comments have sparked discussions about the need for Nigeria to review and amend laws that limit a mother’s ability to transmit citizenship, a right that men enjoy regardless of marital status or nationality of their partner.
