Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has called for an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s health regulatory system, warning that recurring preventable deaths in hospitals amount to a national emergency.
In a statement on Monday, Agbakoba described medical negligence in Nigeria as a “systemic crisis” driven by weak regulation, poor oversight and lack of accountability among health institutions and practitioners.
His remarks followed public outrage over the reported death of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of writer Chimamanda Adichie, and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, allegedly after a medical procedure at a Lagos hospital.
Agbakoba warned that sedatives such as propofol, reportedly administered in the case, require extreme caution due to the risk of fatal cardio-respiratory failure, noting the possibility of overdose.
He disclosed that his law firm is currently handling 25 medical malpractice cases, with over 20 more under review, adding that such incidents are not isolated but reflect deep regulatory failures in the health sector.
While commending the Lagos State Government for launching an investigation and Euracare Hospital for pledging cooperation, Agbakoba insisted that probes must be independent and transparent, alleging that medical records are sometimes altered to evade responsibility.
He blamed the crisis on the collapse of effective regulatory structures, arguing that oversight has been weakened under existing health laws, allowing facilities and practitioners to operate with impunity.
Agbakoba called for the creation of an independent Health Regulatory Authority, reinstatement of Chief Medical Officers at federal and state levels, mandatory inspection of health facilities, and comprehensive legislative reforms.
“This is a matter of national emergency. We cannot continue to lose lives to preventable medical errors,” he said.
