Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has dismissed concerns over comments made by Kemi Badenoch, a United Kingdom Conservative Party leader. Bwala emphasized that Badenoch’s remarks would not affect Nigeria, as she is not part of the UK government in power.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Monday, Bwala criticized Badenoch’s rhetoric, suggesting it was aimed at garnering support within her political party.
He stated, “The only problem we have with Kemi, I think, is the rhetoric because Kemi belongs to the right base in the United Kingdom which is what you see in this populism around the world that you can deepen on your support system if you can feed off of the anger of the people.”
Bwala accused Badenoch of “demarketing” Nigeria for political gain, explaining that she was using negative portrayals of the country to build her profile within the Conservative Party. This, he argued, is a common strategy among politicians seeking to appeal to specific voter bases.
In 2022, Badenoch, a British MP of Nigerian descent, criticized Nigerian politicians for their alleged mismanagement of public funds. Speaking at an event organized by a British think tank, she said, “I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.” She also highlighted her desire to prevent similar outcomes in the UK, describing the impact of “terrible governments” on people’s lives.
Bwala compared Badenoch’s approach to that of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian heritage. He noted that Sunak has refrained from criticizing his country of origin for political gain, saying, “And that to me is counterproductive because if you look at Rishi Sunak, he is also of Indian origin. There has been this issue of gang rape in India. He has never used that as a weapon to promote what he believed to be a departure from what is likely to be believed as hereditary or history of the Indian people, but she has always denigrated Nigeria.”
Bwala concluded that Badenoch’s comments would not impact Nigeria’s international relationships, as these are handled between governments. He also suggested that investors are likely to assess the context and motivations behind her statements, rather than take them at face value.
“I don’t think it would have an effect because she’s not the government in power. Usually, these international relationships or collaborations are dealings between governments,” Bwala said.
