Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has revealed that the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, has changed her feelings towards Nigeria, saying she no longer wants to return to the country.
Adichie made the disclosure in an interview with The New York Times, sighted by PUNCH Online on Sunday, while speaking about the loss of her son and its impact on her relationship with Nigeria.
When asked whether Nigeria still felt like a place close to her heart, the award-winning author gave a direct response.
“My feelings toward Nigeria have changed. 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 the author, her son initially developed a fever and was placed on antibiotics by her husband, Ivara Esege.
However, when his condition did not improve, the couple took him to the hospital for further medical evaluation.
Adichie said Nkanu was subsequently sedated with propofol during an MRI examination.
She explained that the child suffered cardiac arrest after the procedure and died the following day.
Recalling the events surrounding his death, Adichie said a doctor approached her after the procedure and appeared panicked.
“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.
The author had in June publicly raised allegations of medical negligence concerning the treatment her son received at the hospital.
The circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death have since become the subject of a coroner’s inquest.
The proceedings have reportedly been affected by delays and disagreements between Adichie’s family and the hospital.
Euracare has also reportedly accused Adichie and her husband of destroying evidence by cremating their son’s remains, an allegation linked to the ongoing proceedings.
Adichie and her husband have called for improvements in Nigeria’s healthcare system but, according to the report, have not instituted a lawsuit against the hospital.
Despite her current feelings, Adichie said her children could be the only reason she would consider returning to Nigeria.
She explained that her daughter still considers Nigeria her “happy place.”
Before Nkanu’s death, Adichie said Nigeria remained deeply connected to her identity and writing.
She described the country as the place where she received “everything” that enabled her to become a writer.
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However, the death of her son has significantly altered that emotional connection.
‘I Still Can’t Believe We’re Talking About My Son Who Died’
Speaking about the grief following Nkanu’s death, Adichie described the experience as surreal and 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.
She added:
“You’re going through something, but you also feel like you’re outside of it.”
The author’s comments come amid the ongoing coroner’s proceedings into the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.
