Ten years ago, the name Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke was just another name, bore by just another young lady who was born in London, to Nigerian parents…went to school in Nigeria for some time (‘a middle class Yoruba girl’, as she described herself and her youth days). Then returned to England, graduated in Computer Systems Engineering from Sussex University in Brighton. She followed that up with a law degree from Birkbeck University. Up until that time, she was just another name – one of many.
But at the tender age of 25 years, she, for whatever reason, ventured into politics full time, and joined the Conservative Party in the UK. Remarkably, she had risen through the ranks in her professional field, rising to associate director’s rank in private and equity banking group Coutts, before becoming digital director of the Spectator magazine.
Even up until then, Kemi was just another of many….nothing outwardly spectacular.
But deep within her, was a burning desire to lead, to be a part of big things, and to be a news breaker. And within two years of joining the Conservative Party, she was challenging for nominations to be in London Assembly, or becoming a Member of Parliament. She was unsuccessful in a few attempts, yet unrelenting.
Finally, she landed what she always wanted, to become an MP for her local Saffron Waldron in Essex, in 2017. Under British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Kemi was appointed Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, then Minister of State for Equalities – a position she resigned from recently when it was apparent that the government of the UK was losing touch.
Then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned and the position of Prime Minister became vacant.
And here is where Pride of Africa comes in. Nothing would have prepared the world out there for the bravery, the affront, and the silent confidence that came out of this young woman, to make her find the motivation to put her name out and aspire to be Prime Minister of the UK.
And she meant it. Kemi Adegoke, now Kemi Badenoch….Nigerian origin, woman, young and relatively inexperienced in the art of governance…..giving it a right go, and gunning for the top job in the United Kingdom. She wants to be the Leader of the Conservative Party, and be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Again, for her relative inexperience, she might have been dismissed as just an ‘outsider’, but Kemi has garnered enough support, knocking out some formidable and established names along the way, and she is still standing.
As that ‘middle class Yoruba girl’ who spent some of her life in Nigeria, Africa, we recognise her bravery, her forthrightness and her determined mindset, and regardless of how far her journey takes her, she should be one that can be labelled another ‘PRIDE OF AFRICA’.