The Federal Government has dismissed the claims of the UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch that Nigeria law does not allow women to pass on citizenship to their children.
Badenoch had claimed that she is unable to pass on Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman.
While speaking with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria during an interview, Ms Badenoch said on Sunday that while many Nigerians are taking advantage of the UK’s relatively easy citizenship acquisition process, it remains “ virtually impossible to get Nigerian citizenship. I had that citizenship by virtue of my parents; I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.”
Reacting to the claim, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa told The Nation that the Badenoch claim was disturbing as the narrative is completely false.
Ebienfa said section 25 of the Nigerian Constitution allows citizenship by descent to children born abroad to either parent irrespective of gender.
“This is a false and very disturbing narrative because Section 25 of the Nigerian Constitution
allows citizenship by descent to children born abroad if either parent is a Nigerian citizen, with no gender distinction,” he said.
