Chimamanda Adichie and JP Clark
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and JP Clark. Photo credit: CNA’s Team.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has received a “Woman of the Decade” award from the Nigerian newspaper THISDAY on the paper’s 25th anniversary. She was selected as the editors’ choice, while the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and former Federal Minister of Environment Amina J. Mohammed was named the people’s choice. Adichie was presented the award by the playwright and poet JP Clark at AriseTv’s headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos. Obinze, the character in her novel Americanah, is a lover of JP Clark’s poetry.

“The thing about being recognised is that it is not the reason one does what one does, but it is always wonderful to get that validation,” Adichie said. “It means that somebody is saying to you, ‘what you do matters,’ and it is a wonderful feeling. As a Nigerian, it is an even more wonderful feeling to be recognised by my own people. Thanks to the editors at THISDAY and everyone involved in the voting process for the honour of being named ‘Woman of the Decade’ alongside UN Deputy Secretary General, Ms Amina J Mohammed who I admire very much. Congratulations to the entire THISDAY team on your silver jubilee.”

Adichie was earlier named to THISDAY‘s list of “20 Women Who Will Shape Events in Nigeria in 2020,” alongside Amina J Mohammed, former Minster of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, First Lady Aisha Buhari, and pop singer Tiwa Savage.

Brittle Paper congratulates Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.