By Olayinka Ajayi
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Head of Medical Malpractice, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has said the ordeal faced by the family of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie represents only the tip of a much larger crisis of medical negligence affecting countless Nigerian families.
In a statement calling for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s healthcare system, Agbakoba said the sector has become dangerously overcentralised under the Federal Ministry of Health, leaving states lax in oversight and regulation.
According to him, the recent tragic loss of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, has once again drawn national attention to the deep-rooted problems in the country’s health system.
“As my professional focus over the past 20 years has been medical malpractice, during which I have handled over 50 cases, this unfortunate incident is yet another example of the unacceptable level of incompetence in some Nigerian hospitals,” he said.
Agbakoba noted that he was not surprised that a routine procedure at a well-regarded hospital reportedly ended in tragedy.
“Propofol, which was reportedly administered to Nkanu, requires exceptional care because of its potential to cause cardio-respiratory failure. An overdose can be fatal, and there appears to be a strong possibility of overdose in this case,” he stated.
He commended the Lagos State Government for its swift move to investigate the incident and Euracare for agreeing to cooperate with investigators, but stressed that the probe must be genuinely independent and transparent.
Sharing personal experiences, Agbakoba disclosed that he was once misdiagnosed with a condition that could have had serious consequences, while his brother nearly lost his life following an operation performed by a doctor who falsely presented himself as a surgeon.
According to him, the root cause of these recurring tragedies lies in the collapse of Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework for healthcare delivery.
“In the past, the health system operated under a strong supervisory structure. Chief Medical Officers and Health Inspectors oversaw critical care, ensured compliance with standards and held practitioners accountable. The last Chief Medical Officer of Nigeria was Dr. Samuel Layinka Manuwa,” he said.
He lamented that under the current National Health Act and state health laws, this vital regulatory infrastructure has disappeared, resulting in weak oversight and widespread impunity among health facilities and practitioners.
“Today, there is no requirement for routine reporting, no systematic inspections and no effective enforcement of professional standards. Ministers and Commissioners of Health now combine policy-making with regulatory enforcement, which is a fundamental governance failure,” he said.
Agbakoba called for a clear separation of roles, noting that ministers and commissioners should focus on policy direction, while independent health inspectors and regulatory bodies should be empowered to enforce standards and ensure accountability.
He expressed sympathy for Nigerians who have suffered from medical negligence and families still bearing the consequences of what he described as a broken healthcare regulatory system.
“The Chimamanda case has brought this national emergency further into public focus, but it represents only the visible tip of a much larger crisis affecting countless Nigerian families,” he said.
Agbakoba called for urgent reforms, including the immediate establishment of an independent Health Regulatory Authority with powers to inspect facilities, enforce standards and sanction violations; the reinstatement of the Office of Chief Medical Officer at federal and state levels; mandatory registration and periodic inspection of all health facilities; independent investigation mechanisms to secure medical records; clear separation between policy formulation and regulation; and comprehensive legislative reforms to update Nigeria’s health laws.
“The time for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s health system is long overdue. We cannot continue to lose precious lives to preventable medical errors while the regulatory framework remains in shambles. This is a national emergency that demands immediate legislative and executive action,” he concluded.
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