NIGERIA has long been regarded as a risky place to visit, but it would probably be difficult for many Britons to grasp just how volatile it could be when Kemi Badenoch, née Adegoke, was raised there during the final quarter of the 20th century - a politically explosive era resulting in three decades of military juntas.
After its 1970s oil boom began to peter out, almost nobody was immune to the widespread disruption that followed.
"Tipping' the police in order to go about one's daily business was considered normal and 'jungle justice' when, for example, someone caught stealing risked being doused in petrol and set on fire by a mob was not uncommon.
In one sense, growing up under a series of military regimes was second nature to Badenoch and her two younger siblings.
They knew nothing other than the instability which most Nigerians endured. At the same time, her middle-class Christian family was relatively lucky because they were largely insulated from the disorder.
Her father Femi was a GP with his own clinic, her mother Feyi was an academic at the University of Lagos's College of Medicine.
The 44-year-old, who married banker Hamish Badenoch in 2012 and has three children, has said that her family was close.
Unlike the parents of some of her friends, hers remained married, providing a solid platform on which she was able to build.
They were fairly relaxed by Nigerian standards, apparently becoming known jovially as the Cosbys, after the 1980s American television comedy The Cosby Show, whose main character was a doctor in New York.
In the early 1990s, she enrolled at the co-educational International School Lagos (ISL). Taiwo Togun was one of the first friends she made there. She says Badenoch was not a rebel but she could be outspoken.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 30, 2024-Ausgabe von Daily Express.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 30, 2024-Ausgabe von Daily Express.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
THE ART OF WAR
Boss lauds 'ugly' derby win after sleepless nights blight build-up
CLOCK-WISE
Newcastle wake up in time to stun dominant Wolves
Vu's late burst ends brave European rally
LILIA GETS AMERICANS OVER LINE
'Miracle' Triple Layer Insoles stopped my husband's knee and foot paint!
They also turned him from a grumpy old grouch to being active, pain-free and happy again! And got my life back too!
Why teens are hooked on Friends 20 years on
The one where a new generation of fans is devoted to the hit TV show three decades after it first aired... Debbi Marco takes her children to an immersive experience bringing the iconic TV sitcom back to life
FINAL JOURNEY OF THE UNKNOWN WARRIOR
In the final extract from his impossibly moving new book, RAF veteran John Nichol reveals how the remains of ONE anonymous fallen serviceman were chosen to represent ALL of Britain's First World War missing
Space billionaire returns to Earth with a splash
THE first non-astronaut to walk in space landed back on Earth yesterday after an epic five-day trip.
'I feel I'm having one of the greatest decades of my life'
DAVINA McCall is relishing fulfilling lifelong her 50s career ambitions, scooping an MBE and finding happiness with partner Michael Douglas.
Putin hands Iran nuclear secrets in return for ballistic missiles
FEARS were growing in the West last night that Russia gave Iran nuclear secrets in return for ballistic missiles to use in its bombardment of Ukraine.
William wishes Harry a happy 40th birthday
KATE and William sent greetings to Prince Harry on his 40th birthday yesterday as they followed the lead of the King.