The tragic death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21-month-old son has prompted a nationwide outcry for urgent reforms to Nigeria’s ailing healthcare system. The bestselling author and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, have initiated legal action against the Lagos hospital where their son Nkanu Nnamdi was being treated, accusing the facility of medical negligence.
In a leaked WhatsApp message, Adichie revealed that a doctor had informed her that the resident anaesthesiologist had administered an overdose of the sedative propofol to her son. This heartbreaking incident has shone a spotlight on the longstanding issues plaguing Nigeria’s public health sector, including underpaid doctors, lack of basic supplies, dilapidated facilities, and a severe shortage of emergency response services.
Dr. Anthea Esege Nwandu, Adichie’s sister-in-law and a physician with decades of experience, has called for sweeping changes. “This is a wake-up call for us, the public, to demand accountability, transparency, and consequences for negligence in our healthcare system,” she told Agence France-Presse.
The crisis extends beyond the capital, with reports of medical malpractice emerging from across the country. In Kano State, authorities are investigating the case of a woman who died four months after doctors left a pair of scissors in her stomach during surgery. Despite repeated visits to the hospital complaining of abdominal pain, she was only given painkillers until scans revealed the forgotten surgical instrument just two days before her death.
Ijoma Ugboma, who lost his wife Peju in 2021 due to complications exacerbated by staff mishandling a ventilator, has been fighting a long battle for accountability. “Surgery on Friday, ICU on Saturday, dead on Sunday,” he recounted to The Guardian. After a protracted legal process, three of the four doctors involved in the operating theatre were eventually indicted for professional misconduct.
Medical negligence lawyer Olisa Agbakoba, who represented the Ugboma family, says the lack of a robust regulatory framework in Nigeria’s healthcare sector is a major contributing factor. “There is no requirement for routine submission of reports, no systematic inspections, and no effective enforcement of professional standards,” he explained.
Despite the abundance of medical malpractice claims, formal complaints and lawsuits remain remarkably low, partly due to the difficulty in proving negligence. Additionally, Agbakoba notes a cultural and spiritual dimension, with many Nigerians attributing such tragedies to “the will of God” and choosing not to pursue legal action.
As the nation mourns the loss of Adichie’s son and the Lagos State government orders an inquiry, there is cautious optimism that this high-profile case could catalyse the long-overdue overhaul of Nigeria’s healthcare regulatory framework. Ugboma, who persevered in his fight for justice, believes that more people need to challenge the system. “There’s justice out there if only one can persevere,” he said. “It’s a marathon. But we can only have a better system if more people begin to challenge them.”
