Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, have initiated legal action against a private hospital in Lagos, alleging that medical negligence led to the death of their 21-month-old son.
A Family's Tragic Loss
The couple's son, Nkanu Nnamdi, one of their twin boys born via surrogacy in 2024, died on 6 January after a brief illness. The toddler was due to be medically evacuated to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, the day after his death. He had been admitted to Euracare hospital in Lagos for diagnostic procedures, including an echocardiogram and a brain MRI.
In a private WhatsApp message to family and friends that was later leaked, Adichie described the experience as "like living your worst nightmare." Her representatives have confirmed the authenticity of the messages. Within the chat, the award-winning author made serious allegations against the medical facility.
Allegations of Fatal Carelessness
Adichie's message claims a doctor at Euracare directly informed her that the resident anaesthesiologist had administered an overdose of propofol, a powerful sedative. Despite resuscitation efforts and being placed on a ventilator, the child suffered a cardiac arrest. Adichie stated the anaesthesiologist had been "fatally casual and careless."
Acting on these allegations, solicitors for Adichie and Esege served Euracare with a legal notice dated 10 January. The notice demands the hospital provide CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, and the child's complete medical records within seven days. It contends there were critical lapses during the admission and a lack of basic resuscitation equipment, which together amount to medical negligence.
National Outcry and Systemic Failings
The tragedy has ignited a national conversation about the state of Nigeria's healthcare system. In response to the leaked messages, Euracare issued a statement denying negligence was the cause of death. The hospital asserted its staff provided care "in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards" for a "critically ill" patient. The facility has not yet publicly responded to the formal legal notice.
Condolences have poured in for the family, including from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. The Lagos state government has labelled the incident a "profound tragedy" and ordered an investigation.
The case has highlighted deep-seated issues within Nigerian healthcare. The country has a doctor-to-patient ratio of just 1:9,083, and typically allocates less than 5% of its annual budget to health. Botched procedures are common, and emergency services are sparse, as evidenced by a recent incident where boxer Anthony Joshua was carried from a crash scene in a police truck due to a lack of ambulances.
This environment has made medical tourism commonplace for affluent Nigerians. Oby Ezekwesili, former World Bank vice-president, stated Nigeria needs "deep reforms" to prevent further needless deaths, calling the case a symptom of broader "governance failures." The family's personal tragedy has thus become a focal point for urgent national discourse on healthcare reform.
