Chinau Achebe's death is a global calamity - Ama Ata Aidoo

Ghanaian writer Amma Ata Aidoo has described the death of renowned Nigerian novelist and writer Professor Chinua Achebe as a global calamity.

The renowned Nigerian novelist and writer died last night at a hospital in Boston in the US at age 82.

Chinua Achebe, known for some bestselling books like “Things Fall Apart”, had been ill for a while.

Until his death, Prof Achebe was lecturing at the David and Marianna Fisher University and also a Professor of African Studies at Brown University.

Speaking to Citi News Ghanaian writer and a colleague of Chinua Achebe at Brown University, Amma Atta Aidoo has noted that "at this time apart from acknowledging what a giant and a massive source of inspiration that" Chinua Achebe was, his loss is a great one to the whole of Africa.

“It is a massive loss not only to us and for us as writers and artist but a world loss and a global calamity,” she said.