Award-winning Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, are grieving the death of one of their twin sons, Nkanu Nnamdi.
The loss was confirmed on Wednesday in a statement issued by Adichie’s Communications Team and signed by Omawumi Ogbe. The statement, shared exclusively with The Guardian, disclosed that Nkanu Nnamdi died on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, following a brief illness. He was 21 months old.
“We’re deeply saddened to confirm the passing of one of Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s twin boys, Nkanu Nnamdi,” the statement read. “He passed on Wednesday, 7th of January 2026, after a brief illness.”
The family described the loss as devastating and appealed for privacy as they mourn. “The family is devastated by this profound loss, and we request that their privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement said, while also asking for prayers and understanding from the public.
It added that no further statements would be issued, thanking the public and the media for respecting the family’s need for seclusion during what it described as a period of immense grief.