The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has strongly refuted a recent claim by UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, describing her remarks on Nigerian citizenship laws as “misleading” and “entirely untrue.”
Speaking during an appearance on Hard Copy, a Channels Television programme aired on Friday, Dabiri-Erewa criticized Badenoch for stating in an interview that Nigerian law prevents her, as a woman, from passing citizenship to her children — a claim the NIDCOM boss firmly dismissed.
“But that is not true,” Dabiri-Erewa asserted. “Don’t divulge false information. You go on international media and spin a lie — that is a lie — that is not even true. And I’m sure people have responded.”
She pointed to Section 25(1)(c) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which clearly provides that any person born outside Nigeria is a citizen if either of the parents is a Nigerian citizen, regardless of gender.
Dabiri-Erewa warned against public figures denigrating their country on international platforms, stating that while Nigeria values its diaspora community, it will not stay silent when the country is misrepresented.
“You can’t lie about your country, and then we keep quiet. There are many Nigerians doing well politically abroad. We don’t have to focus on one person,” she said.
The controversy erupted after Badenoch, a British-born politician of Nigerian descent, said during an interview:
> “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 further argued that Nigerians acquire British citizenship more easily than foreigners can acquire Nigerian nationality, adding, “We need to stop being naive.”
Reacting, Dabiri-Erewa stressed that such statements undermine the image of Nigeria and should be corrected publicly.
“It’s not about me, or the President, or you — it’s about Nigeria. You can’t denigrate your country and expect silence,” she said, adding that NIDCOM will continue to engage positively with Nigerians in the diaspora but won’t condone misinformation.
The remarks have since sparked debate on social media, with many Nigerians expressing support for the Commission’s position and calling for clarity on diaspora-related laws.