Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has revealed that the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, has changed how she feels about Nigeria, saying she no longer wants to return to the country.
Adichie made the disclosure in an interview with The New York Times while discussing whether Nigeria still felt like a place that remained close to her heart.
“My feelings toward Nigeria have changed,” she said. “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 in Nigeria.
According to Adichie, her son initially developed a fever and was given antibiotics by her husband, Ivara Esege. When the child’s condition did not improve, the couple took him to the hospital for further medical assessment.
She said Nkanu was subsequently sedated with propofol during an MRI examination. Following the procedure, he suffered cardiac arrest and died the next day.
Adichie recalled being approached by a doctor after the procedure, describing the doctor as being in a state of panic when he explained what had happened.
“He was very calm and he said to me, ‘Well, look, they gave him too much Propofol.’ Those were his exact words, which I will never forget until the day I die,” she recalled.
In June, Adichie publicly raised allegations of medical negligence over the treatment her son received at the hospital.
The circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death have since been examined through a coroner’s inquest. The proceedings have reportedly faced delays as well as disagreements between the family and the hospital.
Euracare has reportedly accused Adichie and her husband of destroying evidence by cremating their son’s remains, an allegation linked to the ongoing proceedings.
Adichie and Esege have called for improvements in Nigeria’s healthcare system but, according to the report, have not filed a lawsuit against the hospital.
Despite her decision, Adichie said her children could potentially influence her to reconsider her position in the future.
She explained that her daughter still considers Nigeria her “happy place,” suggesting that her children’s connection to the country could eventually affect how she feels about returning.
Before Nkanu’s death, Adichie said Nigeria had remained deeply connected to both her identity and her work as a writer. She described the country as the place where she received “everything” that helped shape her into a writer.
Reflecting on the tragedy, she said the reality of losing her son still felt difficult to comprehend.
“I mean, it is so surreal, all of this. I still can’t believe we’re talking about my son who died,” she said.
“You’re going through something, but you also feel like you’re outside of it.”
Source: The New York Times
