Chimamanda Adichie shares her feelings about Nigeria after the death of her son

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has shared that she feels differently about Nigeria after the passing of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu.

In an interview with The New York Times, which PUNCH Online reported on Sunday, Adichie said losing her son changed how she views her home country.

When asked if Nigeria still felt close to her heart, she gave a straightforward answer.

"My feelings toward Nigeria have changed," she said.

"I do not want to go back to Nigeria."

Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin boys, died in December 2025 due to a medical emergency at Euracare in Nigeria.

Adichie explained that Nkanu first had a fever, and her husband, Ivara Esege, treated him with antibiotics.

When Nkanu’s health did not improve, they took him to the hospital for more tests.

She said that during an MRI, Nkanu was sedated with propofol, but he then went into cardiac arrest and died the next day.

Adichie recalled a doctor approaching her in panic after the procedure.

"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 remembered.

In June, Adichie publicly raised claims of medical negligence regarding the care her son received at the hospital.

Nkanu’s death is now part of a coroner’s inquest, which has faced delays and arguments between the family and the hospital.

Euracare has claimed that Adichie and her husband destroyed evidence by cremating their son’s body, which is linked to the ongoing investigation.

Adichie and her husband have called for better healthcare in Nigeria but have not sued the hospital, according to the report.

Regarding the chance of going back to Nigeria, Adichie mentioned that her children might be the only reason she would consider it.

She noted that her daughter still sees Nigeria as her "happy place."

Before her son’s death, Adichie felt Nigeria was a big part of her identity and writing, saying it was where she got "everything" that helped her become a writer.

But the heartbreak of losing her son has changed that connection.

"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."