Leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has criticised Nigeria’s decades-long electricity challenges, arguing that the country’s vast oil and gas resources have failed to translate into reliable power supply for its citizens.
Badenoch made the remarks during an interview with The Spectator, a British political and current affairs magazine, where she reflected on how her upbringing in Nigeria shaped her political and economic views before she relocated to the United Kingdom as a teenager.
According to her, Nigeria’s struggles despite its abundant natural resource wealth demonstrate that the presence of resources alone is not enough to guarantee economic prosperity or improved living standards.
“My belief that we need to drill our oil and gas comes from growing up in a country. Nigeria is an oil-producing country, never had electricity,” Badenoch said.
The British politician argued that poor policymaking often prevents countries from maximising the benefits of their natural resources.
“It is very easy to have resources under the ground, but stupid public policy means that you can’t use it,” she added.
Badenoch also drew comparisons between contemporary policy debates in the United Kingdom and the economic approaches adopted by successive military governments in Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s.
She specifically criticised the policies of the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, claiming they reflected an excessive reliance on government control and redistribution.
“And I see quite a lot of what Ed Miliband is doing as being very much like what the Nigerian military dictatorships were doing in the 80s and 90s — ‘the government is going to take control, we know what’s best, we’re going to redistribute.’ Stupid ideas which eventually just bankrupt the country,” she said.
Badenoch maintained that her experiences growing up in Nigeria continue to influence her views on governance, economic management, and public policy.
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“Fundamentally, my views about how we should run our country come from growing up in a place that was very poor.
You grow up in a third-world country and you look at why it is termed ‘third world,’ and I don’t want that to happen here,” she stated.
The Conservative leader further argued that many Britons often take their country’s institutions, prosperity, and historical achievements for granted.
She called for greater efforts to protect what she described as British culture, values, and economic stability.
The interview, which was published by The Spectator and widely reported on June 13, 2026, formed part of a broader discussion on Badenoch’s political philosophy, energy policy, and concerns about government intervention in the economy.
While the exact date and location of the interview were not disclosed, it was conducted in the United Kingdom.
Badenoch’s comments are the latest in a series of remarks she has made about her experiences in Nigeria and how they have shaped her political outlook.
Her observations have frequently sparked debate among Nigerians and British commentators, particularly regarding her assessment of governance, development, and economic policy in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigeria, despite being one of Africa’s largest oil producers, has continued to grapple with inadequate electricity generation, transmission, and distribution for decades.
Successive administrations have introduced reforms aimed at improving power supply, but millions of households and businesses still rely heavily on alternative energy sources, including generators, to meet their electricity needs.