Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is mourning the loss of one of her toddler twin sons.
The family confirmed that her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, whom she shared with her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, died on Wednesday after a brief illness.
In an official statement released on behalf of the family by Omawumi Ogbe, they said they were “devastated by this profound loss”, while expressing gratitude for the outpouring of goodwill.
According to BBC, the statement also asked for privacy and prayers as the family grieves.
Adichie is an award-winning, US-based writer widely known for acclaimed works such as Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah, and her 2012 TED Talk and essay We Should All Be Feminists, which was famously sampled by Beyoncé on her 2013 song Flawless.
A leading voice in postcolonial feminist literature, her work frequently explores themes of gender, identity, and immigration.
In 2015, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. The 48-year-old author welcomed her first child, a daughter, in 2016 and later had twin boys via surrogacy in 2024.
Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was among those who publicly expressed condolences to the family. In his message, he said, “No grief is as devastating as losing a child, adding, “I empathise with the family at this difficult time.”
He also described Adichie as a literary icon who has brought joy and light to homes across the world, while offering prayers for strength and comfort for her family.
With a deep sense of grief, I condole with Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie @ChimamandaReal, her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, and the entire family on the passing of their son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) January 8, 2026
As a parent myself who has suffered the loss of a loved one, no grief is as devastating as…
In 2020, Adichie’s 2006 novel Half of a Yellow Sun was voted the best book to have won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in the award’s 25-year history.
Speaking to the BBC during the release of her novel Dream Count, she emphasised her desire for her work to be widely read in Africa and reflected on the writer’s block she experienced while pregnant with her first child, describing it as “terrifying.”
“It’s a really frightening place to be, because writing is the thing that gives me meaning,” she told Emma Barnett.
In 2022, during a BBC lecture on freedom of speech, Adichie warned that young people were growing up “afraid to ask questions for fear of asking the wrong questions.”
She cautioned that such an atmosphere could result in “the death of curiosity, the death of learning and the death of creativity.”
“No human endeavour requires freedom as much as creativity does,” she added.