AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called out British Conservative politician of Nigerian descent, Kemi Badenoch, over what she described as misleading and untrue remarks about Nigeria’s citizenship laws.
Badenoch, who currently serves as the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, had in a recent interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria claimed that Nigerian women cannot pass on their citizenship to their children. The minister stated: “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.”
Reacting to the comments during an appearance on Hard Copy, a Channels Television programme aired on Friday, Dabiri-Erewa dismissed Badenoch’s assertion as outright falsehood.
“That is simply not true,” Dabiri-Erewa said. “And that is the problem I have — going on international media and making a false claim about your country. It is a lie. Why go out there and tell the world something that is not factual?”
The NiDCOM boss condemned Badenoch’s decision to publicly discredit her country, stating that such unfounded statements only serve to tarnish Nigeria’s image on a global stage.
“When you denigrate your country, we’ll respond. It’s not about me, the president, or you. It’s about Nigeria. You cannot go abroad and lie about your country, and expect us to keep quiet,” she stated firmly.
Dabiri-Erewa emphasised that Nigeria’s citizenship laws do not discriminate based on gender, and that Badenoch’s comments were not only inaccurate but also damaging to perceptions of Nigeria internationally.
She, however, cautioned against allowing Badenoch’s controversial remarks to overshadow the achievements of other Nigerians in the diaspora who are excelling in their various fields.
“We should not focus on one person. There are numerous Nigerians in the UK political space and across the world doing exceptionally well. Let’s acknowledge them,” she said.
Dabiri-Erewa went on to commend the positive contributions of Nigerians living abroad, noting that while distress cases do exist, the commission remains committed to providing support and protection for citizens in the diaspora.
She urged all Nigerians abroad to remain patriotic and to ensure that their engagements and representations reflect truth, integrity, and national pride.
“Diaspora engagement must be based on truth, responsibility, and love for our country. We must not allow personal opinions or political motivations to misrepresent Nigeria or the realities of our systems,” she added.
Dabiri-Erewa’s response comes amid ongoing debates over the representation of African nations in international conversations, and the role of diaspora figures in shaping narratives about their home countries.
