Nigeria Produces Oil but Never Had Electricity — Kemi Badenoch

Leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has criticised Nigeria’s inability to convert its vast oil wealth into reliable electricity, attributing the situation to poor government policies and excessive state intervention.

Badenoch made the remarks during a recent interview with The Spectator, where she reflected on her upbringing in Nigeria and how it shaped her political and economic views.

Born in the United Kingdom but raised partly in Nigeria before returning to Britain as a teenager, Badenoch said her experiences growing up in a resource-rich but infrastructure-poor country significantly influenced her approach to governance and energy policy.

“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,” she said.

According to the British politician, possessing abundant natural resources does not automatically guarantee economic development or improved living conditions.

“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 policies pursued by the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, and economic approaches associated with Nigeria’s military governments of the 1980s and 1990s.

She argued that excessive government control over economic activities often leads to inefficiency and stagnation.

“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,” she said.

Badenoch maintained that such policies ultimately weaken economies and hinder long-term development.

The Conservative leader further explained that her experiences in Nigeria continue to influence her political philosophy in Britain.

“Fundamentally, my views about how we should run our country come from growing up in a place that was very poor,” she said.

She noted that observing the challenges faced by developing nations made her appreciate the importance of stable institutions, economic freedom and effective governance.

Badenoch also warned against complacency, arguing that many people take Britain’s prosperity and institutions for granted, while stressing the need to preserve and strengthen the foundations of the country’s economic success.