Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has expressed deep concern over the worsening economic conditions in the country, saying the plight of everyday Nigerians troubles her the most.
Adichie noted that the current hardship has pushed many formerly stable middle-class citizens into poverty, with some now resorting to begging.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans, the literary icon emphasised that the most meaningful political judgment lies in the quality of life experienced by ordinary people.
“Life has become so hard in Nigeria, and me 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 said.
“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.”
While not justifying criminal behaviour, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie pointed out that extreme hardship can push people toward actions they would never have previously considered.
“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 said.
Adichie also reflected on her writing journey, revealing that she faced up to 25 rejections for her debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, yet never thought of giving up.
She stressed that she would have continued writing even if her work had never been published, describing writing as a spiritual calling and a divine gift she believes to be her life’s true purpose.
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