Renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has expressed deep concern over the rising economic hardship in the country, warning that it has pushed many middle-class citizens into destitution.
In an interview on Channels Television’s “Amazing Africans,” Adichie stated that the suffering of ordinary Nigerians remains the most troubling aspect of the current national crisis.
“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,” she said.
Highlighting the sharp rise in the cost of living, particularly food, Adichie stressed that a government’s performance should be judged by how well it improves the lives of everyday people.
“The level of suffering, how expensive food has become… I think the biggest political judgment one can make is about the lives of ordinary people.
“People talk about the stock market. Personally, I don’t really care about those sorts of things. 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 added.
Chimamanda also noted that increasing hardship could lead even law-abiding citizens down dangerous paths.
“It’s not to excuse crime, but I think when life gets very hard, even people who before would not have considered certain things suddenly are willing to, and that’s dangerous to society,” she warned.
Adichie also reflected on her literary journey, recounting how she received over two dozen rejections for her debut novel Purple Hibiscus but never thought of quitting.
“The thought of quitting writing is never an option for me because writing is my vocation. Writing is really what I believe I am here to do; it’s a bit spiritual.
“I feel that is a gift that I am given, and so even if I hadn’t been published, I would still be writing today. So, the idea of giving up writing was never an option. But it (the rejection) was demoralising,” she said.
