London, July 30, 2019 (AltAfrica)-A former vice chair, conservative party, Nigerian born Kemi Badenoch has been appointed children and families minister at the Department for Education.

The MP for Saffron Walden since 2017 replaces Nadhim Zawahi who has moved to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). She will support new education secretary Gavin Williamson with the skills brief.

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Before her appointment, 37-year-old MP who only entered the House of Commons in 2017 was in charge of selecting Conservative candidates for the 2022 general election under the leadership of Theresa May. Kemi Badenoch was a former member of the London Assembly

The new Minister who was brought up in Nigeria introduced Mrs May’s ill-fated leader’s speech at the party conference in October, 2017 and became vice chairman for candidates same year

Born in Wimbledon to parents of Nigerian origin. Her childhood was spent in Lagos, Nigeria and the US before she moved back to the UK at the age of 16.

A software engineer, Ms Badenoch studied systems engineering at Sussex University and also has a law degree. As well as IT, she has worked in the banking sector for Coutts and RBS and is a mother of two.

Tweeting about her appointment, Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch posted on 29 July: ‘Thank you for all good wishes and kind messages of support received. I also look forward to working not just with @Conservatives colleagues but cross-party and grateful for the warm welcome from @TracyBrabin and @Steve ReedMP who no doubt will be keeping me on my toes!’

@kemiBadenoch tweets about her new job. Credit: Twitter

Responding to the appointment, former children’s minister Nadhim Zahawi tweeted: ‘Kemi will be passionate and a real champion for our most vulnerable children and families’.

Her 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.

In her 2017 maiden speech as MP, the daughter of a GP and a physiology professor, described the vote for Brexit as “the greatest ever vote of confidence in the project of the United Kingdom”.