She Can Drop ‘Kemi’ from her Name, but Nigeria Remains the Greatest Black Nation – VP Shettima Criticizes UK’s Badenoch

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has criticized Kemi Badenoch, the newly elected leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, accusing her of making disparaging remarks about Nigeria.

Speaking at the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue held at the State House in Abuja on Monday, Shettima addressed comments made by Badenoch during her 2022 bid for UK Prime Minister. At the time, Badenoch alleged that Nigerian politicians misused public funds for personal gain.

Following her election as Conservative Party leader in November 2024, the Nigerian government reportedly sought to establish communication with Badenoch through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). However, according to NIDCOM Chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa, these outreach efforts were met with no response.

Addressing the situation, Shettima said, “Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Labour or Conservative Party—we are proud of her in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin. She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the ‘Kemi’ from her name, but that does not undermine the fact that the greatest Black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria.”

Highlighting Nigeria’s global significance, Shettima emphasized that one in every three or four Black people worldwide is Nigerian. He added that by 2050, Nigeria is projected to become the third most populous country in the world, underscoring the country’s growing importance on the global stage.