Nigeria Twitter woke up to a report from a recent interview with The Africa Report where Novelist, Chimamanda Adichie was asked if she saw herself as an ambassador for Nigeria in the US; and she pointed out that she is an ambassador of her own self and as such doesn’t represent Nigeria.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The award-winning Nigerian author expresses her views on subjects close to her heart, from feminism and identity to colonialism and leadership on the African continenthttps://t.co/xFfysfkCJB #nigeria

— The Africa Report (@TheAfricaReport) May 8, 2020

While this came as a shock to many Nigerians, especially the feminist movement that looks up to her, her ideas may just be what many Nigerians have in mind, especially those doing well for themselves. Adichie was in an interview with The Africa Report and was asked if she saw herself as an ambassador for Nigeria in the US; the novelist, however, insisted that she does loves her Nigerian heritage.

Chimamanda Adichie just said she's not representing Nigeria but herself.
And that she plans to be an African citizen.

— LOPEZ IYKE™ (@mr_iykelopez) May 13, 2020

 

As usual, many people only picked the first part of her statement where she said she didn’t represent Nigeria but herself. In her own words, she had said: “No. I am an ambassador for myself. I don’t represent Nigeria; there are things about Nigeria I don’t like, but at the same time I am very very proud of my Nigerian identity. I was born and raised in Nigeria, which I didn’t leave until I was 19. I’m proud to be Nigerian, I’m proud to be African, I’m proud to be Igbo. I would not be who I am today if I wasn’t all of those things. So, it’s very important to me.”

I am proud to be an Igbo, I don't represent Nigeria – Chimamanda Adichie | Odince Blog
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READ MORE -> https://t.co/wUPnJR22Lj
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— Odince Blog News (@odinceblog) May 13, 2020

There is a group of people who only picked the first part and narrowed it down to her ignoring her heritage and opting to be a US citizen. There are others, however, who wanted to start a tribal war from her statement where she expressed her pride in being Igbo, also ignoring the part where she expressed how proud she is to be Nigerian all together.

Chimamanda has been a mirror to many Nigerians, feminist and literary lovers, but her statement came off as a shock to those who look up to her, but if you look at it on a deeper level, there are times where many Nigerians have felt like Nigeria is not worth it for them to raise the flag up high in pride. Adichie, however in her statement did not say she wasn’t proud to be Nigerian or that she doesn’t like that she is Nigerian, she, however, said that she simply didn’t represent Nigeria.

“Chimamanda Adichie talks colonialism and politics” I am TERRIFIED to open this link

— safia aidid (@safiyaaaay) May 12, 2020

However, when you deep dive into the whole matter, can the Novelist be separated from the fact that she is Nigerian? Such a thing sounds almost impossible, in the world today, whatever anyone does, their heritage is firstly looked at before any other thing.