Renowned Nigerian-American author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, are mourning the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi. According to reports, the toddler, one of a pair of twin boys the couple recently welcomed, passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, after a brief illness. The loss was confirmed by local media outlets citing family sources.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, globally celebrated for works including Americanah, Purple Hibiscus, and We Should All Be Feminists, had largely kept her family life private. She and Dr. Esege welcomed their twins in 2024 but chose not to publicly announce the births at the time, a decision the author later explained was rooted in her desire to protect her children’s privacy.
The author’s family has experienced profound personal losses in recent years. In addition to this latest tragedy, Adichie endured the deaths of both parents in 2020 and 2021, experiences she explored in her memoir Notes on Grief.