Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has said she no longer desires to return to Nigeria following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
Adichie spoke during a recent interview with The New York Times, where she spoke about his death and the circumstances surrounding it.
When asked whether Nigeria remained close to her heart, the award-winning writer said the tragedy had changed her relationship with the country.
“My feelings toward Nigeria have changed,” she said. “I do not want to go back to Nigeria.”
Speaking about whether she could return to Nigeria in the future, Adichie said her children could be the only reason she would consider doing so.
She noted that her daughter still regarded Nigeria as her “happy place.”
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died following a medical emergency at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos in January 2026.
According to Adichie, her husband, physician Ivara Esege, initially placed the child on antibiotics. The couple later took him to the hospital when his condition failed to improve.
She said Nkanu was sedated with propofol while undergoing an MRI examination. He reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest after the procedure and died shortly afterwards.
“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.
Adichie and her husband accused Euracare of negligence in the treatment of their son.
Their allegations include concerns about the amount of propofol administered, how the child was monitored after sedation, and the hospital’s response when his condition deteriorated.
Euracare has denied the allegations, maintaining that its medical team acted according to accepted professional standards.
The circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death are now the subject of a coroner’s inquest in Lagos. No court or coroner has made a final finding on the cause of his death or established that the hospital was responsible.
The proceedings have faced delays and legal disagreements, including a dispute over the cremation of the child’s remains.