Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has said she no longer wants 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, months after Nkanu died following a medical emergency at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos.

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.”
Nkanu, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died in January 2026 after developing a fever during a family visit to Lagos.

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.

Recalling the incident, Adichie said a doctor approached her after the procedure and told her that her son had received too much of the sedative.

“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 have 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.

Euracare has argued that the cremation removed important forensic evidence needed to determine the cause of death. Lawyers representing the family have maintained that the inquiry can continue using medical records, witness accounts and other available evidence.

The case has also renewed public discussion about patient safety, medical accountability and emergency care in Nigerian hospitals.

Adichie said Nigeria had previously remained an important part of her life, identity and writing. She described the country as the place that gave her “everything” she needed to become a writer.

However, losing her son there has changed that connection.

She said her children could be the only reason she would consider returning, noting that her daughter still sees Nigeria as her “happy place”.

Speaking about the difficulty of accepting Nkanu’s death, Adichie said the experience continued to feel unreal.

“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.”