LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has revealed that the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, has changed her relationship with Nigeria.
In a new interview with The New York Times, Adichie said the tragedy has changed the way she feels about Nigeria and wishes never to return.
Her response was direct when asked whether the country still felt close to her.
“My feelings toward Nigeria have changed. I do not want to go back to Nigeria,” she said.
The change in her feelings comes months after Nkanu, one of her twin boys died in December 2025 after a medical emergency at Euracare in Nigeria.
Adichie recounted that the child first became ill with a fever. He was given antibiotics by her husband, Ivara Esege, but his condition did not improve.
The couple eventually took him to hospital for further assessment.
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During an MRI examination, Nkanu was sedated with propofol, after which he suffered cardiac arrest and sadly died the following day.
Adichie also recalled a moment that has stayed with her since the tragedy.
She said a doctor approached her after the procedure and appeared distressed while explaining what had happened.
“He was very calm and he said to me, ‘Well, look, they gave him too much Propofol,’” she revealed.
Adichie added that the statement remains etched in her memory, saying, “Those were his exact words, which I will never forget until the day I die.”
The circumstances of Nkanu’s death prompted an ongoing coroner’s inquest. Adichie had earlier raised allegations of medical negligence over the treatment her son received.
The proceedings have reportedly been slowed by disagreements involving the family and Euracare.
The hospital has also reportedly accused Adichie and her husband of destroying evidence by cremating their son’s remains, a claim tied to the ongoing inquest.
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Despite the circumstances surrounding their son’s death, Adichie and her husband have focused publicly on the need for better healthcare in Nigeria.
They have not, according to the report, filed a lawsuit against the hospital.
Before losing Nkanu, the “Half Of A Yellow Sun” author described Nigeria as an important part of both her identity and her development as a writer.
She said the country gave her “everything” that helped shape her literary journey.
Her son’s death has now altered that sense of belonging.
“I mean, it is so surreal, all of this. I still can’t believe we’re talking about my son who died. You’re going through something, but you also feel like you’re outside of it,” she explained her grief.
For Adichie, returning to Nigeria now appears complicated by the grief attached to the country. She said her children may be the only reason she would consider coming back.
Her daughter, she said, still sees Nigeria differently and considers it her “happy place”.
