Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie has expressed deep concern over the severe economic hardship in Nigeria.
She stated that the suffering of ordinary citizens is her greatest worry.
Adichie, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans, lamented that the country’s economic downturn has pushed many previously stable middle-class families into a state of destitution.
READ ALSO: 10 months after, Chimamanda Adichie reveals birth of twin boys
She said she is particularly troubled by how people who were once able to manage their lives are now forced to beg for help.
“Life has become so hard in Nigeria, and I can see it. For example, people who were formerly kind of securely middle class, not that life was rosy for them, but they got by—are now people who beg and are in need. That worries me greatly,” Adichie stated.
She emphasised that for her, the most critical measure of a government’s performance is the well-being of its citizens, not economic indicators like the stock market.
“What I care about is: that person earning minimum wage, how is that person getting on in this economy? It’s the suffering that worries me the most. And it’s terrible,” she explained.
Adichie also linked the increased hardship to potential societal dangers.
She noted that when life becomes difficult, even law-abiding citizens may be tempted to consider criminal acts they would not have contemplated before. While she did not excuse crime, she cautioned that such desperation poses a significant risk to society.
READ ALSO: Tinubu’s road projects based on economic value, not region – Tinubu’s aide replies Kwankwaso
In a different part of the interview, Adichie reflected on her writing career and revealed that her debut novel, “Purple Hibiscus,” was rejected 25 times before it was published.
Despite the demoralising experience, she insisted that she never considered giving up on writing, which she described as her “vocation” and a “divine gift.”
