Diaspora Author Chimamanda Adichie Decries Nigeria’s Economic Collapse.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, acclaimed Nigerian writer and prominent diaspora voice, has sounded a stark warning about the deepening economic crisis in Nigeria, declaring that the country’s once-stable middle class is being pushed into destitution.

Speaking from her base in the United States during an appearance on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans, the award-winning author expressed alarm at the growing hardship faced by Nigerians, particularly those who previously had some measure of economic security.

“Life has become so hard in Nigeria. People who were formerly securely middle class not that life was rosy, but they managed are now begging. That worries me greatly,” she said.

Adichie, who maintains strong ties to Nigeria despite living abroad, said the realities back home are more troubling than many in the diaspora can imagine.

“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,” she said.

Rejecting macroeconomic indicators such as stock market performance as a benchmark for national progress, Adichie emphasised that the real test lies in how well governments ease the burden on the common man.

“I don’t really care about the stock market. What I care about is that person earning minimum wage and how is that person surviving in this economy?”

She further cautioned that continued hardship could lead to a spike in crime, even among those who were previously law-abiding.

“When life gets very hard, even people who never considered certain actions may start to. And that’s dangerous for any society,” she warned.

Reflecting on her literary career, Adichie shared how she endured more than twenty rejections before her debut novel Purple Hibiscus was accepted for publication.

“Writing is my vocation , it’s spiritual for me. Even if I had never been published, I would still be writing. Giving up was never an option,” she said.

As one of Nigeria’s most respected cultural exports and an influential voice in the global diaspora, Adichie’s words offer not just critique but a heartfelt plea for national introspection and urgent policy action.