‘Middle class now begging’ – Chimamanda Adichie laments deepening hardship in Nigeria

Renowned Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, has expressed concern over the worsening economic conditions in the country, stressing that the plight of ordinary citizens troubles her the most.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans, Adichie said that many Nigerians who once managed a modest middle-class lifestyle have now been pushed to the brink, with some forced to beg for survival.

“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,” she said.

Emphasizing the rising cost of living, the award-winning writer emphasised that the true measure of political performance lies in how ordinary people are coping.

“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 making it clear she does not condone crime, Adichie pointed out that extreme hardship can drive people to consider actions they would never have imagined.

“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 her debut novel Purple Hibiscus faced around 25 rejections before it was published.

She explained that quitting was never an option because writing is both a calling and a spiritual gift.

“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.