Famous Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has raised alarm over the growing economic hardship in Nigeria, saying that many once comfortable middle-class citizens are now begging to survive.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans, Adichie said the situation in the country worries her deeply.
“Life has become so hard in Nigeria, and I can see it. For example, people who were formerly kind of securely middle class… are now people who beg and are in need. That worries me greatly,” she said.
Adichie said that the high cost of food and basic needs has made life unbearable for many Nigerians. She believes a government should be judged based on how it improves the lives of ordinary people.
“The level of suffering, how expensive food has become…the biggest political judgment one can make is about the lives of ordinary people. I don’t really care about things like the stock market. 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,” she stated.
She warned that the continued hardship could push even decent and law-abiding people into crime.
“It’s not to excuse crime, but 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 added.
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Adichie also shared her journey as a writer. She said she received over 20 rejection letters for her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, but she never thought about giving up.
“The thought of quitting writing is never an option for me because writing is my vocation… it’s a bit spiritual. Even if I hadn’t been published, I would still be writing today,” she said.
Adichie is known for her books such as Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah, and Purple Hibiscus, which have gained international acclaim.