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Abuja – What started as a routine CNN interview has turned into a full-blown diplomatic spat. Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa didn’t mince words Thursday when she called out UK Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch’s claims about Nigerian citizenship laws. Speaking on Channels TV’s Hard Copy program, Dabiri-Erewa described Badenoch’s statements as “false information” and she seemed genuinely frustrated about it.
CNN Interview Sparks Controversy
Badenoch, who leads the UK Conservative Party and previously served as Business Secretary, made some pretty bold claims during her chat with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. Getting Nigerian citizenship is “virtually impossible,” she said. Even more striking was her assertion that women can’t pass citizenship to their children under Nigerian law.
“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 told Zakaria.
Now, whether this reflects her personal experience or a broader misunderstanding of the law isn’t entirely clear.
Official Pushback
Dabiri-Erewa wasn’t having any of it. Her response was swift and, frankly, pretty blunt by diplomatic standards.
“But that is not even true… Don’t divulge false information. You go on international media and spew a lie. That is a lie,” the NiDCOM chairman shot back.
The legal reality appears to contradict Badenoch’s claims. Under Nigeria’s Citizenship Act, children born to Nigerian parents regardless of whether it’s the mother or father are typically entitled to Nigerian citizenship by descent. Though bureaucratic hurdles may exist in practice, the law itself doesn’t seem to support Badenoch’s interpretation.
More Than Just Facts
What’s interesting here is how personal this dispute has become. Dabiri-Erewa framed it as a matter of national pride rather than just a legal disagreement.
“When you denigrate your country, we’ll reply you. It’s not about me or the president or you. It’s about Nigeria. You can’t lie about your country then we keep quiet,” she declared.
There’s something almost maternal in her defense of Nigeria’s reputation though critics might argue that sensitivity to international criticism can sometimes overshadow legitimate concerns.
The Bigger Picture
Dabiri-Erewa tried to shift focus to what she sees as success stories among Nigerian diaspora politicians. She mentioned several Nigerian-born figures currently serving in the UK Parliament, including Bim Afolami and, ironically, Badenoch herself.
“You know the number of Nigerians we have in the UK in the political space that are doing very well. We don’t have to focus on one person,” she noted.
It’s a fair point, though it also suggests the government may be more comfortable celebrating diaspora achievements than addressing their criticisms.
This whole episode comes at a time when Nigeria is actively trying to engage its estimated 17 million diaspora population worldwide. Whether public feuds like this help or hurt those efforts probably depends on who you ask.
By Abiodun Labi
