The Nigerian-born politician dominated the headlines towards the end of last year over controversial remarks about her birth country.
While delivering her first speech of the year at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch said she did not want Britain to be like Nigeria.
The Tory leader highlighted the importance of building trust, saying the Conservative Party is the right group to fix Britain.
She said the UK could becoming like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it. I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.”
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life. So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
