Kemi Badenoch: Nigerians' dire thirst for validation or disdain for degeneration?

Until Nigerians free themselves from the shackles of their oppressors, quit seeking validation, and listen to the voice reasoning, they cannot indeed be free, says a brilliant mind when weighing on the deteriorating state of Nigeria and its citizens. 

Nigeria is blessed with natural and human resources, and its current President, Bola Tinubu, in his visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the 19th Heads of State and Government Summit of the G20, affirmed this in his speech.

But, despite the over 40 mineral resources, thanks to nature, and a population of over 160 million youths, which is over 70% brilliant minds, the nation still struggles to find its feet on the global stage.

It's no news that the United Kingdom's Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, of Nigerian descent, has taken centre stage over her recent criticism of the state of the nation, which has degenerated into a debate with two sides —— One accusing her of degenerating her homeland in the global scene. The other believes her comments are the Nigerian reality no one dares to say.  

Of the former school of thought, Kemi Badenoch should have learnt the adage of the elders, which says, 'Don't wash your dirty linen in public", while the latter thinks Nigerians are just trying to cover an already open wound. 

Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is a part of the 'She's degenerating reputation' in public space, advised her to change her name from Kemi if she's not proud of her origin. 

But before we continue, who is Kemi Badenoch?

44-year-old Olukemi Olufonto Adegoke is a United Kingdom citizen born to the family of Mr and Mrs Adegoke. Her mother, while pregnant with her, travelled to the UK in 1980 to deliver her in Wimbledon, London, at St Terasa private hospital a year before the British Nationality Act 1981  abolished automatic birthright citizenship for those born in the UK. 

She's one of the three children born to the Adegoke family who lived in Lagos.  Her father, Mr Femi Adegoke, was a General Practitioner (GP), what we might call a Family Doctor today. Her mother, Mrs Feyo Adegoke, was a Professor of Physiology in America and at the University of Lagos. 

It would surprise you that Kemi was not just born to Nigerian parents; according to her profile in The Times, she was the first cousin once removed of former  Nigeria Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Shuttling between Surulere, a suburb in Lagos and the United States, Kemi described her growing up in Nigeria as "very tough". She returned to the UK at 16 after completing her preliminary study at the International School of Lagos. Kemi, however, described her background as middle class and in 2018, she added that "Being middle class in Nigeria still meant having no running water or electricity, sometimes taking your own chair to school", adding that her family went through a "period of poverty" due to inflation. 

Kemi's Education and Career

Kemi studied Computer Systems Engineering and bagged a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree in 2003 at the University of Sussex. She later bagged a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at Birberke, University of London. 

Badenoch started her career in the IT sector as a software engineer at Logica (now known as CGI Group) between 2003 and 2006 before she joined the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. She later left her job to pursue a Consultancy and financial services career. She worked as an associate director at a private bank and as a wealth manager at Coutts from 2006 to 2013. She later became a director at The Spectator from 2015 to 2016. 

Kemi Badenoch's Political Journey

Before her illustrious career, Badenoch joined the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom in 2005 at 25. Five years after joining the party, in 2010, Kemi contested the Dulwich and West Norwood constituency. She came third behind the Labour Party incumbent MP Tessa Jowell and the Liberal Democrat candidate Jonathan Mitchell. 

In 2012, Kemi Badenoch lost another election to Victoria Borwick under the party while contesting the London Assembly election. In the 2015 general election, Kemi found her bearing as she, through succession, became the new Conservative Party London Assembly member following the resignation of Victoria Borwick, who won the House of Commons seat. 

After losing as the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency leader under the Conservative Party at the 2017 general election, she later won the same seat at Saffron Walden with 37,629 votes and a majority of 24,966 (41.0%) votes. 

After becoming an MP, Kemi joined the 1922 Executive Committee, Parliament Justice Select Committee, and the Conservative Party's Vice Chair for CAndidates in January 2018. 

Kemi was later promoted to Minister of State for Equities and appointed Miniter of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, later renamed Minister of State for Levelling Up Communities. She, however, resigned from her position, citing Borris Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal. 

Taking a bold step, Kemi Badenoch launched a campaign to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party but lost in the fourth round of voting. In September 2022, Lizz Truss, who took over from Boris Johnson, appointed her Secretary of State for International Trade. Rishi Sunak retained Kemi and made her the first Secretary of State at the newly created Department for Business and Trade after he took over from Lizz Truss as UK Prime Minister. 

In July 2024, Kemi Badenoch announced her intention to become the new Tory Leader and won, according to YouGov's poll and ConservativeHome's survey of the Conservative Party membership, leading every other candidate in a head-to-head race in membership vote. 

She's the very first Nigerian and black woman to hold this position, and her accused "degeneration" of Nigeria began after this. 

From Nigeria's Pride in the UK to a Polarizing Critic of Her Homeland

Following her victory as Tory Leader, Kemi Badenoch, at the Conservative Party conference, which took place from 29 September to October 2024, described her childhood experience in Lagos as a place filled with "fear everywhere" and her "neighbours screaming as they were being burgled and beaten-wondering if (her) home will be next".

Kemi was also quoted as having described her home city as "a place where almost everything seemed broken", and she had to walk miles to catch water, and "lizards run out of the taps."

In another remark, Kemi, still reminiscing on her childhood experience in Nigeria, said, "I grew up in Nigeria, and I saw firsthand what happens when politicians are in it for themselves when they use public money as their private piggy banks when they pollute the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others.

"I saw what socialism is for millions. I saw poverty and broken dreams. I came to Britain to make my way in a country where hard work and honest endeavour can take you anywhere."

During an interview with the FP Honetly, Kemi further said, "Police in Nigeria would rob us. Police stole my brother's shoe and his watch. Nigeria is a very poor country, so people do all sorts of things."

Don't take my word for it, watch the interview below;

While many of Kemi's stances do not add up because no one growing up in Nigeria, shuttling between Nigeria and the USA would live in a neighbourhood that had such a degenerating lifestyle —— Lagos can be chaotic but not the type described by Kemi, which I must say is elusive of facts. Still, we cannot deny the leadership and corruption claims she raised.

Knocking her, Shettima, Nigeria's vice President, asked her to "remove the Kemi from her name" if she was not proud of her "nation of origin".

When confronted with the Vice President's remark, Kemi confirmed that she stands by her words via her spokesman, adding that "she's not the PR for Nigeria".

"She is the leader of the opposition, and she is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country; she tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She will not couch her words," Badenoch spokesman told the Press.

Why Nigerians Should Rise Above Kemi Badenoch’s ‘Derogatory’ Remarks and Redefine Their Own Validation

Following this mirage of uncouth 'truths' by Kemi, many Nigerians had taken a swap at Badenoch, accusing her of degenerating her home of origin, which some describe as "defecating on your mother's lap".

Nigerians, especially in this present generation, fray anyone and anything that wants to undermine their reputation on a global stage —— David Adeleke, A.K.A Davido, had his fair share when he said, "I wouldn't advise anyone to invest in Nigeria", describing the country's economy as 'very bad'.

During the World Economic Forum, the Chairperson of the World Trade Organization, Nigeria's dear Ngozi Nkojo Iweala, survived Nigerian's onslaught after she redeemed herself with pictures she took with the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, where she explained her media team uploading the images in batches as Nigerians had accused her of snubbing her President and taking pictures with other President.

These are among many examples of Nigerians fighting tooth and nail against anyone who takes a swap at the 'Giant of Africa' globally. 

With a diverse culture and a growing population of over 200 million, Nigerians must begin looking at keeping their house in order rather than query those 'washing their dirty linen in public". 

Shettima's further reactions to Kemi's onslaught, though not in the present stance, should be Nigeria's collective goal, becoming "the greatest black nation on earth". While we call our alleged degenerates to order, Nigerians and its political leaders should dissuade themselves of Wstern's validation and consciously work to transform themselves into the 'Giant of Africa" it was designed to be.

Whether it is Kemi Badenoch, Davido or anyone, no one will talk down on a nation whose GPD is growing, with a good power supply (not the constant electricity grid collapse), good road networks, good health care centres, and corruption-free country, where institutions are more powerful than individuals. 

Nigeria is great and will be, in actuality, if the leaders listen to the voice of reasoning and do the right things. Nothing silences a critic other than results; that is what we should be pursuing. Nigerians do not need Kemi's validation to prove to the world that the country is working, not to a global world where all is now laid bare for all to see, thanks to the internet. 

Covering a wound won't heal it; curing it will.  Nigerians should focus on the latter and seek no validation nor need to engage in the fruitlessness of expressing disdain to its critics; let's listen to them; there's something more we can all learn together. After all, we should be fighting for a better Nigeria and not an individual remark over tens of millions of others.