Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, has sparked controversy with her recent comments about Nigeria.
In her first speech of the year, Badenoch expressed her desire to prevent Britain from becoming like Nigeria, a country she believes has been destroyed by poor governance.
Badenoch, who was born in London to Nigerian parents and spent part of her childhood in Nigeria, shared her personal experiences of growing up in a country plagued by inflation and poor leadership. She recounted how her relatively wealthy family became poorer despite working harder, and how she migrated to the UK at 16 with her father’s last £100.
The Conservative Party leader has been critical of Nigeria’s government and institutions in the past. She previously described the Nigerian police as “armed robbers” who intimidate citizens, and has spoken about the negative impact of corruption and mismanagement on the country.
“My experience with the police in Nigeria was very negative, but when I came to the UK, my first encounter with the police was very positive.
In Nigeria, the police would rob us, so when people talked about me having issues with the police because I’m Black and they’re white, I didn’t understand what they meant.”
“I still remember when the police stole my brother’s shoes and his watch.”
