I Don’t Represent Nigeria, I Am An Ambassador Of Myself – Chimamanda Adichie

 

Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie has shared that she does not in any way represent her Nigeria but rather she is an ambassador of herself.

The Half of a Yellow Sun writer made this known in a conversation with The Africa Report where she also talked about becoming an American citizen.

According to Adichie, when her father was kidnapped, it was the US Government that came to the rescue.

In her own words, Adichie 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.

The ‘Purple Hibiscus’ novelist, also opened up on why she initially refused an American passport.

“For a long time, I didn’t want to become a US citizen because I believed that part of the experience of being Nigerian is experiencing the humiliations of traveling on a Nigerian passport,” she added.