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Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has said she no longer wants to return to Nigeria following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu.
Adichie disclosed this in an interview with The New York Times, where she spoke about the devastating loss of her son and how the tragedy has changed her feelings towards Nigeria.
Asked whether Nigeria still felt close to her heart, the award-winning writer said, “My feelings toward Nigeria have changed,” before adding, “I do not want to go back to Nigeria.”
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died in December 2025 following a medical emergency at Euracare hospital in Lagos. His death subsequently became the subject of an ongoing legal and medical controversy, with the family seeking answers over the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The tragedy has had a profound emotional impact on Adichie, who described the experience of grief and the difficulty of dealing with the loss while continuing to care for her surviving children.
Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have pursued a coroner’s inquest into their son’s death. Proceedings have faced legal challenges, including an application by the hospital seeking to halt the inquest.
The author has long maintained a strong connection to Nigeria, despite living largely in the United States. She told The New York Times that Nigeria had historically been central to her identity and creative life, but the circumstances surrounding her son’s death had fundamentally altered that relationship.
Her latest comments have renewed public attention on the tragedy and its wider implications for Nigeria’s healthcare system, as well as the emotional consequences of losing a child under circumstances that remain the subject of investigation.
