Why I don't want to return to Nigeria

Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has revealed that the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, has profoundly changed her relationship with Nigeria.

In an interview with The New York Times, Adichie said the country no longer holds the same emotional significance for her following the death of her son in December 2025.

Asked whether Nigeria still felt like a place close to her heart, the author gave a direct response.

“My feelings toward Nigeria have changed,” she said.

“I do not want to go back to Nigeria.”

Nkanu, one of the twins she had with her husband, Ivara Esege, died after a medical emergency at Euracare in Nigeria.

Adichie explained that her son initially developed a fever and was given antibiotics by his father. When his condition did not improve, the couple took him to the hospital for further medical assessment.

She said Nkanu underwent an MRI examination during which he was sedated with propofol. The child subsequently suffered cardiac arrest and died the following day.

According to Adichie, a doctor spoke to 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.’ Those were his exact words, which I will never forget until the day I die,” she recalled.

The circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death have since become the subject of a coroner’s inquest.

Adichie had publicly raised allegations of medical negligence in June over the treatment her son received at the hospital.

The proceedings have reportedly been affected by delays and disagreements between the family and Euracare. The hospital has also reportedly accused Adichie and her husband of destroying evidence by cremating their son’s remains.

Despite the dispute, the couple has not filed a lawsuit against the hospital, according to the report. They have instead called for improvements to Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Adichie said her decision not to return to Nigeria was not absolute, noting that her children could eventually influence her choice.

She explained that her daughter still sees Nigeria as her “happy place”.

Before Nkanu’s death, Adichie said Nigeria was deeply intertwined with her identity and career as a writer. She described the country as the place that gave her “everything” she needed to become an author.

However, she said the loss of her son had fundamentally altered that connection.

“I mean, it is so surreal, all of this. I still can’t believe we’re talking about my son who died,” Adichie said.

“You’re going through something, but you also feel like you’re outside of it.”