Renowned Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has said Nigeria’s main problem is not poverty or illiteracy, but a deep loss of values.
She said this during an interview on ARISE NEWS while promoting her new novel, Dream Count.
According to her, Nigeria has “lost its way.”
Adichie said Nigerians now judge success by money alone, instead of intelligence, service, or integrity.
“You read about 1960s Nigeria, and it wasn’t perfect, but you felt that people valued things that mattered more,” she said.
“I think there’s a kind of crass materialism that we’ve kind of embraced,” she added.
She blamed this trend on poor leadership.
“Leadership sets the tone. If we had leadership that valued certain things, things would change,” she said. “I really think, in the end, that leadership makes a huge difference, even in the midst of poverty.”
Adichie Says Nigerians Read—Books Must Be Affordable
Adichie rejected claims that Nigerians don’t read.
“I’m going to disagree with the idea that Nigerians aren’t literate,” she said.
She said the real problem is access and affordability of books.
“We have book clubs, but we can’t have them regularly because books are expensive,” she noted.
She recalled a book signing in Nigeria that surprised her.
“It was incredible. Especially young people. I was honestly moved,” she said. “There’s a reading community here. The problem isn’t that we don’t want to read—it’s affordability.”
To help, she retains the Nigerian rights to her books so local publishers can sell them at lower prices.
“Bringing in foreign editions doesn’t make sense,” she said. “We need to make books available and affordable.”
‘Dream Count’: A Story of Love, Loss, and Identity
Dream Count is Adichie’s first novel in 12 years, following Americanah. She said the book came from her personal experience of grief.
“I experienced grief, and continue to experience grief,” she said. “I had the most wonderful parents. I adored them. My sense of identity was being the daughter of Grace and James.”
She revealed that she still struggles with her mother’s death.
“I think I’ve made peace with losing my father,” she said. “But I haven’t lost my mother. I still ask myself, ‘Did it really happen?’”
When asked about the famous quote, “The wound is where the light enters you,” she replied, “I’m not sure my wound let any light in.”
Yet, she admitted that writing helped her survive.
“I didn’t set out to write a book inspired by her,” she said. “But after I finished, I went back and realised my mother’s spirit was in it. I truly believe she guided me.”
Telling Women’s Stories and Reclaiming Dignity
A key character in Dream Count is Kadiatu, based on Nafissatou Diallo, the Guinean hotel worker who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of assault.
Adichie said she wanted to show the full humanity of women like Diallo.
“She was reduced to a headline,” she said. “We heard about his ambitions and career, but with her, it was all negativity and suspicion.”
She added, “I wanted to give her back some humanity. We were told to empathise with him. But with her? Endless suspicion. That wounded me.”
Nigeria Book Tour Sells Out Fast
Adichie launched her Nigerian tour in Lagos and will visit Abuja, Enugu, and Nsukka.
“Lagos is the beating heart of Nigeria,” she said. “And it’s home for me.”
She described the tour as “a wholesome homecoming.”
Her events include readings, music, spoken word, and open discussions.
“We’ll talk about everything: grief, reading, literature, dreams,” she said. “The tickets, of course, sold out in less than a day.”
Adichie spoke emotionally about her late mother’s impact.
“My mother helped so many people and never heard their gratitude until after she was gone,” she said. “We should give people their flowers when they’re here. Not just at funerals.”
Reflecting on love, she added, “We grieve because we’re fortunate to have loved. And yet, I do believe that love is its own worth.”
Several of Chimamanda Adichie’s works can be found here, both in hard copy of Kindle softcopy versions.
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