Former Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, has dismissed a claim by UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, that she cannot transmit Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman.
Babandede addressed the issue in a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, following Badenoch’s comments during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.
During the interview, Badenoch drew comparisons between the immigration systems in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. When asked whether she would allow a Nigerian immigrant to create a “mini-Nigeria” in the UK as a form of cultural expression, she responded firmly, “no,” arguing that such a practice would not be tolerated in Nigeria or many other countries.
She also cited her children’s inability to acquire Nigerian citizenship as an example of how strict the Nigerian system is. “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 claimed.
However, Babandede rebutted this assertion, stating that the Nigerian Constitution does not discriminate based on gender when it comes to conferring citizenship by birth.
“As a former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service who oversees citizenship matters, Section 25 of the Nigerian Constitution allows persons whose parents or grandparents (both male and female) [are Nigerians] to become citizens by birth,” he wrote.
His clarification suggests that Badenoch’s interpretation of Nigerian citizenship laws may be inaccurate, particularly in relation to gender-based limitations.