Putin Never Called Nigeria a “British Branch in Africa,” Fact-Checkers Confirm

By: Editor 

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that a viral social-media claim alleging that Russian President, Vladimir Putin, described Nigeria as a “British branch in Africa” and cited that as the reason he has never visited the country has been confirmed to be false, according to independent fact-checking reports.

OTN News further reports as gathered that the claim, which first appeared on Facebook on 3 October 2025, quoted Putin as allegedly saying, “I don’t see Nigeria as a country, but as a British branch in Africa. 

That’s why I have never visited or spoken about them.” The post further alleged that “Britain still dictates Nigeria’s affairs and controls her destiny from behind the curtains.”

However, fact-checking organisation Africa Check and other independent investigators have found no credible evidence that Putin ever made such remarks. 

A thorough search of international and Russian media archives, including official Kremlin communications and news transcripts, turned up no record of the quote.

Fact-checkers noted that given Putin’s global profile, any comment of this nature, attacking both Nigeria and Britain, would have attracted extensive coverage across reputable media platforms. The complete absence of such reporting strongly indicates that the statement was fabricated.

According to Africa Check, “There is no record of President Vladimir Putin making such a statement in any credible source, whether through official press releases, media interviews, or diplomatic communications. The quote appears to be a product of misinformation circulating on social media.”

The false claim also contradicts the current diplomatic relationship between Russia and Nigeria. 

In April 2025, Moscow reaffirmed its commitment to deepening military and economic cooperation with Abuja, pledging continued support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts. 

Russia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podelyshev, has publicly praised bilateral ties and noted progress in trade and defence collaboration between both nations.

President Putin, who has dominated Russian politics since 1999 and began his fifth presidential term in 2024, has never made any derogatory public remarks about Nigeria. 

Meanwhile, Nigeria, once a British colony, marked its 65th Independence Anniversary on 1 October 2025, continuing to maintain diplomatic relations with Russia and other major global powers.

Fact-checkers have therefore urged the public to exercise caution before sharing unverified social-media posts, especially those that attribute controversial quotes to world leaders.

“There is no verifiable evidence that President Vladimir Putin ever called Nigeria a ‘British branch in Africa,’” Africa Check concluded. 

“The statement is fabricated and misleading. Nigerians should rely on credible media and fact-checking platforms to verify such claims.”

OTN News, however, observes that the episode underscores the growing challenge of disinformation on social media, where false political quotes often circulate rapidly without verification, shaping public opinion and distorting international relations.