Hardship: “Middle-class Nigerians now begging to survive” – Chimamanda laments

Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has expressed sadness over the worsening economic hardship in the country, saying the situation has pushed many middle-class citizens into begging for survival.

Speaking in a recent interview on Channels Television, Chimamanda described the current economic reality as deeply troubling.

She noted that individuals who once lived fairly stable lives are now struggling to meet basic needs.

“Life has become so hard in Nigeria, and me I can see it,” she said. “People who were formerly kind of securely middle class—not that life was rosy for them—but they got by, are now people who beg and are in need. That worries me greatly.”

The award-winning novelist stressed that beyond economic data and financial reports, the true measure of any government’s performance should be the quality of life of everyday citizens.

“The level of suffering, how expensive food has become… I think the biggest political judgment one can make is about the lives of ordinary people,” she said.

Chimamanda also questioned how Nigerians earning the national minimum wage are managing to stay afloat amid soaring costs of living.

“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 surviving in this economy?” she asked. “It’s the suffering that worries me the most. And it’s terrible.”

While she made it clear she wasn’t condoning criminal acts, Chimamanda warned that severe economic stress could drive people to actions they never would have previously considered.

“It’s not to excuse crime,” she said, “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.”