Daniel Otera
Dr. Wiebe Boer, a Nigerian-born Dutch entrepreneur, has criticised United Kingdom opposition leader Kemi Badenoch for publicly distancing herself from her Nigerian heritage, describing the stance as “deeply problematic” in a widely shared LinkedIn post. Boer maintained that Nigeria remains an essential part of his identity, regardless of where he lives or works.
Badenoch, who was born in the UK to Nigerian parents, revealed on the Rosebud podcast that she had not renewed her Nigerian passport for more than two decades and no longer identifies as Nigerian.
“I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents, but by identity I’m not really,” she said. “I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there.”
Responding to these remarks, Boer stressed that how public figures relate to their heritage matters greatly. He argued that leaders like Barack Obama and Rishi Sunak have never disavowed their ancestral roots, even while building political careers outside their countries of origin. For Boer, Nigeria is more than heritage it is a source of drive and achievement that fuels global success stories.
The Nigerian presence in the United Kingdom is both cultural and economic. Data from the 2021 Census by the Office for National Statistics shows that 270,768 people in England and Wales were born in Nigeria, representing approximately 0.5 per cent of the total population. This marks a sharp increase from 191,183 in 2011, underlining the rapid growth of the Nigerian diaspora.
Statista data also shows that the Nigerian-born population in the UK has almost doubled in recent years, from about 90,000 in 2008 to 178,000 in 2021. By mid-2024, official records indicated that roughly 120,000 Nigerians had moved to the UK within a single year, making Nigeria the second-largest source of long-term migration after India.
Boer noted that Nigerians have become highly visible across the UK’s social and economic landscape, with British Nigerians gaining recognition for their achievements in diverse sectors. He also pointed to Nigerian-founded firms such as Helios Investment Partners, IHS Towers, Seplat Energy Plc, Hellenic Bottling, and GTBank, which have created jobs, attracted capital, and driven innovation in the UK.
Beyond their contributions abroad, the Nigerian diaspora plays a pivotal role in sustaining Nigeria’s economy. Remittances have averaged around $20 billion annually in recent years, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria and PwC, making them one of the nation’s most stable sources of foreign exchange. In 2018, Nigerians abroad sent home $25 billion 6.1 per cent of GDP while even during the global economic disruptions of 2020, inflows reached $17.21 billion, around 4 per cent of GDP.
For Boer, these contributions demonstrate why heritage should not be casually set aside.
“You can critique a country without renouncing it. That’s what leaders do. That’s what representation demands,” he said, adding that for those who understand Nigeria’s complexity, beauty, struggle, and power, distancing oneself from it “stings.”
He concluded:
“I’ll always claim Nigeria. Every day, everywhere. Because it’s still shaping some of the best stories and people the UK and the world has to offer.”