Badenoch had told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that she could not pass on her Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman.
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has criticised UK Conservative Minister Kemi Badenoch for spreading what she described as false claims about Nigerian citizenship laws.
Badenoch had told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that she could not pass on her Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman.
Reacting during an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, Dabiri-Erewa said, “That is not even true… You go on international media and spew a lie. That is a lie… So why tell us something that is not true?”
She condemned Badenoch for denigrating her home country on global platforms, stating: “When you denigrate your country, we’ll reply you… You can’t lie about your country then we keep quiet.”
Dabiri-Erewa emphasized that many Nigerians are excelling abroad, and urged for truthful, responsible diaspora engagement rooted in patriotism.
She reaffirmed NiDCOM’s commitment to protecting and celebrating Nigerians overseas.