Halimah Nuhu Sanda
It is with utter sadness that I put my fingers to the keyboard in reaction to the recent remarks credited to Kemi Badenoch, the newly selected leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party and a woman of Nigerian origin.
Her unpatriotic remarks about Nigeria are, aside from being condescending, also dangerously divisive.
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They reflect a deeply disturbing mentality, one that betrays her roots and belittles the shared struggles and successes of Nigerians across the country.
I have no problem with Kemi Badenoch saying she identifies more as a Yoruba than a Nigerian or saying that she has nothing in common with the North.
Each person has the right to their own identity and life experiences. But calling the North “The Boko Haram, where Islamism is” is uncalled for and absolutely unacceptable.
Such a generalization is an affront to millions of Northerners who reject extremism and work tirelessly for peace and progress.
How dare she reduce an entire region, to such a damaging stereotype?
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The sudden rise to prominence of Kemi Badenoch in the UK is quite remarkable on the surface.
That a woman of African extraction should rise through the ranks into one of the most powerful political positions in Britain should, under normal circumstances, be a source of pride.
Yet, her disdainful comments and fragmented allegiance revealed a mind still shackled by colonial constructs and a misunderstanding of the very identity that shaped her.
For clarity, it is her Nigerian Identity that provided the foundation for her to dream and excel on the global stage, not a selective tribal affiliation.
Nigeria is a country of remarkable diversity, from the Hausa-Fulani to the Igbo and Yoruba, among many others, contributing to its rich cultural and intellectual heritage.
As much as Nigeria’s challenges are real, its Northern region, which has been affected by insurgency, has given the world icons. From Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the “Golden Voice of Africa” who championed diplomacy and unity, to Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who redefined leadership in Northern Nigeria, to Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman, the political activist and historian, who transformed Nigerian intellectual thought, to Dr. Amina J. Mohammed, the global advocate for sustainable development, leadership, resilience, and brilliance have been well embodied.
The North has made immense contributions to Nigeria and the world, far beyond the narrow lens through which Badenoch has chosen to view it.
Similarly, the Yoruba people, to whom she identifies with, have given birth to their own: from Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a political titan to Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate who gave African literature a global voice, to Akinwunmi Adesina the transformer of Africa’s agricultural and financial landscape.
The Igbo too boast towering figures, from Nnamdi Azikiwe the statesman to the icon in letters, Chinua Achebe to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the economist running global trade.
The brilliance of Nigerians is not confined to one ethnic group. It is this collective brilliance, nurtured by a Nigerian identity, that propelled Badenoch to where she is today.
To claim otherwise—to align herself solely with Yoruba heritage while casting aspersions on the North—is to deny the collective strength of Nigeria.
Worse, it is to echo the divisive tactics of those who sought to pit us against one another for their own gain.
Kemi Badenoch would do well to temper her illusions of grandeur. Her rise to the leadership of the Conservative Party has nothing to do with her exceptionalism but as part of a calculated move on Britain’s part to parade diversity and inclusion as shields against its dark history.
The atrocities of the British Empire in Africa remain a stain on its conscience, and the elevation of someone like Badenoch—a woman of African descent—is part of a broader agenda to rewrite the narrative.
She is a symbol, not a saviour. A token in the game of optics of appearances, designed to distract from Britain’s legacy of exploitation and oppression.
If she thinks otherwise, I am sorry to burst that bubble. Her position, as important as it is, is not the result of meritocracy per se; it serves the very agenda of those who continue to hold power over narratives and identities.
As Nigerians, we neither envy nor covet Kemi Badenoch’s position.
As a matter of fact, Nigeria has produced thousands of illustrious sons and daughters who have made far greater marks on life than a puppet party leader, and they still proudly call themselves Nigerians: trailblazing innovators, intellectuals, Nobel laureates, celebrated authors, and world leaders, who epitomise the spirit of a nation that soars above division.
Though I don’t see it happening, but even if Badenoch were to rise further to the position of UK Prime Minister, she still would not make it to our list of great Nigerians.
That success, impressive as it may appear, pales in comparison to those who have embraced their heritage and used their achievements as a source of pride for Nigeria.
We are perfectly fine with Kemi Badenoch claiming the UK or Yoruba alone; that does not take a pinch out of our great country. Nigeria’s strength is in its unity and its capacity to birth greatness in all spheres of life. Her departure from that legacy is her loss, not ours.
In the magnificent book of Nigeria’s illustrious sons and daughters, Kemi Badenoch’s legacy will, at best, be a footnote.
Noteworthy as her achievements might be, they are devalued by her unflinching disconnection with the Nigerian identity that birthed her success.
It is one thing to rise above your circumstances; it is quite another thing to speak ill of the very foundation of that rise.
Her words are telling of a psyche still in bondage, shackled to the need for approval from the erstwhile colonial masters, a mediocre intellect weighed down by guilt because it has failed to own up to Its roots fully.
To be free in body and captive in mind is on its own, another tragedy, and for this, I wish her freedom.
So, I say to Kemi Badenoch: You were a Nigerian first, whether you like it or not. To deny it is to deny yourself. And until you reconcile with that truth, your conscience will remain enslaved.
For Nigeria, however, we forge ahead with pride, unity, and the knowledge that our greatness is undiminished by the divisive words of a single individual.
Dr. Halimah wrote from Kano and can be reached via halimahwrites@romzaibfoundation