According to a report by Punch on August 9, 2025, Nigerian-born Dutch entrepreneur Dr. Wiebe Boe has criticised UK opposition leader Kemi Badenoch for publicly declaring that she no longer identifies as Nigerian, despite being born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian parents.
Speaking on the matter, Boe described Badenoch’s disassociation from Nigeria as “deeply problematic” and out of step with how other world leaders have handled their heritage. “I’ve never heard Barack Obama disavow Kenya or Indonesia — even while running for president of the United States. I’ve never heard Rishi Sunak disassociate from his Indian or East African roots,” he said.
Boe noted that Badenoch’s stance comes at a time when identifying with Nigeria has arguably never been more prominent in the UK, not for optics but because the contributions of Nigerians in British society are increasingly impossible to ignore.
“In fact, it seems that identifying with Nigeria has never been more on trend in the UK — not for optics, but because the impact of Nigerians across British life is too real to ignore,” he stated.
The entrepreneur urged public figures of Nigerian descent to embrace, rather than distance themselves from, their heritage, arguing that doing so strengthens cultural pride, unity, and recognition on the global stage.
