UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss appoints Nigeria’s Kemi Badenoch as Trade Secretary

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Liz Truss has appointed Kemi Badenoch as the new secretary of state for international trade and president of the board of trade.

Badenoch, who is of Nigerian descent, was appointed by the prime minister’s office on Tuesday, September 6, to take over from Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who has been appointed as secretary of state for transport.

A post shared on the Twitter page of the UK Prime Minister, @10DowningStreet, on Tuesday, stated that Badenoch was a member of Liz Truss’ new cabinet.

The post read, “Kemi Badenoch MP @KemiBadenoch has been appointed Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade @TradeGovUK #reshuffle”

Born in south London, Badenoch’s parents are of Nigerian origin, and in her maiden speech in the house of commons, she described herself as “to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant”.

Other cabinet members to work with Truss as approved by Queen Elizabeth II, contained in a press release by 10 Downing Street are also announced.

• The Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. She will also be Deputy Prime Minister
• The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP as Chancellor of the Exchequer
• The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
• The Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP as Secretary of State for the Home Department
• Wendy Morton MP as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip). She will attend Cabinet
• The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for Defence
• The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP as Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice
• The Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and Minister for Equalities
• The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP as Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons
• Lord True CBE as Lord Privy Seal, and Leader of the House of Lords
• The Rt Hon Jake Berry MP as Minister without Portfolio

• The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP has been re-appointed as COP26 President
• The Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• The Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Kemi Badenoch MP as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade
• Chloe Smith MP as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
• The Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP as Secretary of State for Education
• Ranil Jayawardena MP as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP as Secretary of State for Transport
• The Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
• The Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• The Rt Hon Alister Jack MP has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland
• The Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KBE QC MP has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for Wales
• Chris Philp MP as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The appointments come a few hours after Liz Truss formally became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after an audience with Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle.