The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has strongly responded to statements made by UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who claimed she cannot pass Nigerian citizenship to her children due to gender restrictions.
In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Badenoch, who is of Nigerian descent, said, “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.” She contrasted Nigeria’s citizenship laws unfavorably with those of Britain, discussing immigration policies.
However, during an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy on Friday, Dabiri-Erewa disputed Badenoch’s comments, describing them as “false information” that should not be propagated internationally.
“But that is not even true. And that is the problem I have. Don’t divulge false information. You go on international media and spew a lie. That is a lie. But that is not even true. And I’m sure people have responded. So my problem with that is that it is not true. So why tell us something that is not true? That is the problem I have with that,” she insisted.
Dabiri-Erewa also warned against denigrating Nigeria on global platforms. “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 said.
Highlighting the achievements of Nigerians abroad, she said, “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.”
Okay.ng reports that Dabiri-Erewa acknowledged the many challenges Nigerians face overseas but reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to protecting the diaspora and fostering patriotism, emphasizing that engagement should be based on truth and responsibility.
