New British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has appointed Nigerian Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch as Children and Families’ minister, as part of his government reshuffle.
The 39-year-old Olukemi Badenoch is a British Conservative politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Saffron Walden. Badenoch announced her new appointment on Monday, July 29. She tweeted
The junior minister’s responsibilities include early years policy, including inspection and regulation.
Her portfolio includes delivery of 30 hours free childcare offer, special educational needs including high needs funding, safeguarding in schools and disadvantaged pupils – including pupil premium and pupil premium plus.
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Badenoch who spent her childhood Lagos State, Nigeria, and the United States of America was born in Wimbledon, London, to Nigerian parents who were medical doctor and a physiology professor.
She later relocated to the United Kingdom at 16.
She has been the MP for Saffron Walden since 2017 after replacing Nadhim Zawahi. She is software and IT engineer.
She studied systems engineering at Sussex University and also has a law degree.
She has worked in the banking sector for Coutts and RBS.
The mother of two once shared with MPs on the floor of the parliament her own experiences of poverty and how she used to do her homework by candlelight.