Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband Ivara Esege, MD, are grieving an unimaginable loss. Their one-year-old son has passed away after suffering a brief illness. The renowned author broke the news to the media through her communications team on January 8.
“We’re deeply saddened to confirm the passing of one of Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s twin boys, Nkanu Nnamdi, who passed on Wednesday,” the released statement reported by The Guardian read.
“The family is devastated by this profound loss, and we request that their privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time. We ask for your grace and prayers as they mourn in private. No further statements will be made, and we thank the public and the media for respecting their need for seclusion during this period of immense grief,” the statement concluded.
Adichie, who has always been private about her family life, had her twin boys via surrogacy in 2024. She also has a daughter, whom she gave birth to in 2016.
The president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinibu, who has also lost a child, sent condolences to the award-winning storyteller via X.
“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,” Tinubu wrote.
The post continued, “Ms Adichie is a literary icon who has brought joy and light to many homes globally, and I pray she and her family find strength in the Almighty in this trying hour. My prayers are with the family.”
Adichie has experienced significant loss over the last few years, with both of her parents passing away a year apart. Her mother died in March 2021 after a sudden illness, and her father died a few months prior in June 2020.
The passing of Adichie’s parents inspired her moving tribute “How Does a Heart Break Twice,” which she penned in 2021.
“How does a heart break twice?” the tribute began. “To still be immersed in grief, barely breathing again, and then to be plunged callously back into a sorrow you cannot even articulate. How can my mother be gone forever, and so soon after my father?”
Sending condolences to Adichie and her family during this difficult time.