Trump’s Administration Feels Like Nigerian Government—Chimamanda Adichie

Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has drawn sharp comparisons between the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump and the authoritarian style of leadership seen in parts of Africa, saying the United States under Trump felt like it was being run by an “African Big Man.”

Speaking during a recent interview on Canada’s CBC network, Adichie didn’t mince words about the state of American democracy during Trump’s presidency. The Americanah author, known for her outspoken views on politics and identity, said the experience was eerily familiar to anyone who grew up under dysfunctional leadership in Africa.

“America no longer feels aspirational to me,” she said. “The present administration in the U.S. just feels to me like a Nigerian government. It really does feel like America is being governed by an ‘African Big Man.’”

The term “African Big Man” is commonly used to describe authoritarian leaders in post-colonial African states who often rule with unchecked power, prioritize loyalty over competence, and blur the lines between personal interests and public office.

Adichie’s remarks tap into a broader global conversation about democratic backsliding and the erosion of norms in liberal democracies. Critics of Trump’s time in office have long pointed to his confrontations with the press, attempts to delegitimize elections, and use of divisive rhetoric as symptoms of deeper institutional decay.

For Adichie, those symptoms mirrored a political reality she thought she had left behind in Nigeria.

“What I saw during that period — the attacks on truth, the disregard for institutions, the cult of personality — all of it was too familiar,” she said.

Adichie’s comments have sparked renewed discussion on social media, with many echoing her concerns about global democracy. Others criticized the comparison, arguing that American institutions, despite their flaws, still function with greater checks and balances than many African states.

But for Adichie, the issue wasn’t just about Trump — it was about the illusion of Western exceptionalism.

“There’s this long-held idea that the West is a model of governance for the rest of the world,” she said in the interview. “But what happens when that model itself starts to resemble the very systems it claims to be superior to?”

Adichie, whose novels such as Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus explore themes of power, colonial legacy, and national identity, has often used her platform to challenge dominant narratives about Africa and the West.

Her latest remarks continue that tradition, reframing the conversation about democracy and governance through a personal and cross-cultural lens.

While she acknowledged that the U.S. is still recovering from the polarization of the Trump era, Adichie made it clear that her disappointment runs deep.

“I once saw America as a place of possibility — flawed, yes, but always trying to be better,” she said. “But that period changed how I see it. It’s not just about politics. It’s about what people are willing to tolerate, excuse, or even applaud.”

As the U.S. gears up for another contentious election cycle and democracies worldwide face rising pressures, Adichie’s critique is a reminder that no system is immune — and that the line between democracy and dysfunction can be thinner than many like to admit.