World celebrated Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have lost one of their twin sons, Nkanu Nnamdi.
A press statement issued on Thursday by Omawumi Ogbe, on behalf of the family, said the 21-month-old baby passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, after a brief illness.
The statement said the family is devastated by the loss, and requested that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.
It reads: “We’re deeply saddened to confirm the passing of one of Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s twin boys, Nkanu Nnamdi, who passed on Wednesday, 7th of January 2026, after a brief illness. He was 21 months old.
“The family is devastated by this profound loss, and we request that their privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time.
“We ask for your grace and prayers as they mourn in private.
“No further statements will be made, and we thank the public and the media for respecting their need for seclusion during this period of immense grief.”
Adichie, 47, is married to Ivara Alistair Esege, a Nigerian medical doctor who hails from Cross River State.
Born on August 4, 1967, in Enugu, Esege is based in the United States of America where he works as a family doctor.
