Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, has profoundly altered her relationship with Nigeria, a country she had long considered home.
Speaking in a recent interview with The New York Times, Adichie reflected on her grief months after Nkanu died following a medical emergency in Lagos, saying she has not returned to Nigeria since his death and does not currently want to go back.
“My feelings toward Nigeria have changed,” Adichie said when asked about her relationship with the country.
“I do not want to go back to Nigeria,” she added.
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died on January 7, 2026, after receiving medical care in Lagos. He had initially been treated at Atlantis Paediatric Hospital before being referred to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital for procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States.
Adichie said Nkanu was given propofol while undergoing an MRI at Euracare and later suffered cardiac arrest.
Recalling what happened after the procedure, she said a doctor spoke to her about the amount of medication administered.
“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 said.
The circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death have since been the subject of a coroner’s inquest in Lagos. The family has alleged medical negligence, while Euracare has denied wrongdoing and maintained that the child received care in line with established standards.
Proceedings have also been delayed by legal challenges. In June, the Lagos State High Court granted Eurapharma Care Services, operators of Euracare, leave to seek judicial review and stayed further proceedings in the coroner’s inquest pending determination of the case. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on September 28.
Beyond the legal proceedings, Adichie said the loss continues to affect her daily life and her family.
She recalled deciding with her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, to cremate their son rather than go through another funeral after several previous family losses.
“I just remember looking at Ivy and saying, ‘Do we have to have another funeral?’ Ivy said, ‘I cannot.’ And Ivy said, ‘We’ll cremate him. We’ll take him with us because we can’t leave him behind,’” she said.
Adichie also described the physical toll of grief while caring for her surviving children.
“When my father died, I was struck by the physicality of grief. And this time, even more so,” she said. “I feel it. It’s in my stomach and it’s in my chest, and you’re just so tired every day. Everything is difficult. Everything.”
Despite her current reluctance to return, Nigeria remains deeply connected to Adichie’s life and writing. She has previously described the country as central to the experiences that shaped her as an author.
Her children, however, retain a different relationship with the country. Adichie said her daughter still considers Nigeria her “happy place”, and indicated that her children could ultimately be the reason the family returns.
“They’re the reason we’re going,” she said.
Adichie, known for novels including Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah and Dream Count, has written extensively about Nigerian experiences and identity. Her latest comments highlight how the death of her son has reshaped a connection to the country that had long been central to both her personal life and literary work.
Ademide Adebayo
Follow us on:
