Between Caustic Kemi and Fate of Women in Nigerian Politics
By Nafisat Bello
From time immemorial, Nigerian men and women have often excelled outside the country and made everyone proud. In sports, politics, governance, entertainment, medicine etc, Nigerians in the diaspora have time and time again proven beyond reasonable doubt that they can hold their own and compete among the very best across the world.
This is why those who know the depth of human resource potential in the country are often disappointed with what the country has turned into. It is indeed ironic that Nigerians are part of the success story of other countries while Nigeria itself doesn’t look like success in any ramification.
As bad as this sounds to the ear, it looks like even the best Nigerian youngsters have to leave the country first before they are able to reach their potential or live their dreams. This is why the ‘japa’ syndrome has assumed an epidemic level.
No matter what it is, there is no place like home. Nigeria is a beautiful country with great people. The leadership of Nigeria only needs to do better in harnessing the inherent potential to develop the country, not exploiting artificial disunity to destroy the country further.
Africa’s greatest storyteller, the Late Chinua Achebe, in his bestselling piece, “The Trouble with Nigeria,” said there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian people, culture, climate or anything, that the problem that stops the country from reaching its potential is the leadership.
This is why a good number of Nigerians in the diaspora identify with their roots, they are proud of their origin and send money down here to help their friends and relatives, and also to invest in real estate and other businesses. Diaspora remittances are said to be one of the key revenue earners for the country and they keep growing on a daily basis.
One Nigerian in the Diaspora who prefers to dwell on the negativities and fail to respect her origin, is a certain Kemi Badenoch who ordinarily should inspire younger women to greatness but whose vituperations about the country do not make her loved down here.
She is a prominent British politician known for her outspoken conservatism and her meteoric rise within the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party. Her caustic comments regarding her Nigerian heritage, have sparked debate and criticism, especially from those who feel that her words are quite demeaning, harsh and they undermine the country.
Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke (who later married Hamish Badenoch in 2012) was born in London to Nigerian parents in January 1980. Her father, Femi Adegoke, was a Nigerian Doctor and her mother, Feyi, was a professor of physiology at the University of Lagos. Growing up in a Yoruba family, Kemi was exposed to different cultures, which influenced her perspective on social issues and public policy.
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Badenoch spent part of her childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, and later returned to UK as a teenager and pursued a degree in Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Sussex. She later transitioned from a career in banking to politics, joining the Conservative Party at the age of 25.
She recently emerged as the party’s new leader, securing 53,806 votes against her opponent Robert Jenrick’s 41,388. This close contest marks a critical moment for Britain’s political landscape.
Badenoch’s election was groundbreaking as she happened to be the first Black woman leader of a major UK political party, and while her ascent may seem like a milestone in representation, it also signals a shift to a more conservative stance for the party. It equally means she could become Prime Minister in the future.
Her victory should ordinarily represent a big deal for Nigeria but unsurprisingly, Nigeria failed to celebrate her. This is because all she has done in her adult life is to denigrate her country of origin.
Fate of Women in Nigerian Politics
Rather than dissipate energy on hating Kemi’s gut and attacking her choices, why don’t we look at ourselves in the mirror and ask some fundamental questions.
Why can’t Nigerian women be given a chance in Nigeria as well? Why? Why is it that Nigerian women are only useful in wearing Ankara Aso Ebi, singing and dancing during party rallies? Why can’t any of the brilliant women who have chosen to remain in Nigeria also be given a seat at the table or be allowed to chair any of the major political parties in Nigeria? Why can’t we have a female presidential candidate in any of the major parties?
Why are we struggling to have an elected female governor? If the Kemi Badenoch Nigerians are quick to criticise based on her utterances had remained in Nigeria, would she by now be able to lead any of the major parties in the country or aspire to be President? Won’t she be struggling to be Minister of Women Affairs or another appendage of dominant males?
Despite the fact that women make up about 51% of Nigeria’s population, their representation in government is a far cry from what is obtainable in other countries on the continent like Rwanda and South Africa, and that is the matter we should be discussing. . . The fact that due to some base sentiments like tribe, religion and gender, we fail to put our best foot forward and the country continues to struggle.
The female representation in Nigerian politics has been on a downward slide since 2011. The number of women in Nigeria’s National Assembly has fallen by 19 percent compared to the last assembly, with women now occupying 3 percent of the seats in the Senate and 4 percent in the House of Representatives.
Last Line
All hope is not lost for the Nigerian women. Taking cue from the successes of other nations in how well their women are represented in politics, there are several steps Nigeria can take to ensure gender parity in the nation’s political structure.
Instead of allowing our women to migrate to other country in order to be recognised and given the opportunity they crave, it is imperative for the government to take concrete steps in making the country livable for our women so that the brilliant and ambitious ones will stay and contribute their quota to nation building rather than leave in search of better opportunities abroad.
