Dr. Olisa Agbakoba calls for urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s healthcare system following repeated preventable deaths from medical negligence

Senior lawyer and medical malpractice specialist, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has called for an immediate overhaul of Nigeria’s healthcare regulatory framework, citing recurring preventable deaths from medical negligence across the country.

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Agbakoba’s statement followed the tragic death of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, at a Lagos hospital.

He emphasised that the incident highlights systemic failures in the enforcement of professional standards by medical practitioners and institutions.

According to Agbakoba, decades of experience in medical negligence litigation—including over 50 cases—demonstrate that such deaths are not isolated.

He cited multiple past incidents, including maternal deaths, surgical errors, and fatal misadministration of medication, as evidence of a chronic national crisis.

“The fundamental problem is the collapse of the legal and regulatory framework governing Nigeria’s health sector. Ministers and Commissioners have conflated policy-making with regulatory enforcement, creating an environment of alarming impunity,” he said.

Agbakoba called for a six-point emergency reform plan, which includes establishing an independent Health Regulatory Authority, reinstituting the Office of Chief Medical Officer at federal and state levels, mandatory registration and inspection of health facilities, and comprehensive legislative updates to enforce accountability and patient protection.

“The Chimamanda case has brought this national emergency further into public focus, but it is only the visible tip of a much larger crisis,” he said.

“We cannot continue to lose precious lives to preventable medical errors while the regulatory framework remains in shambles.”

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Agbakoba urged the federal and state governments to act immediately to prevent further avoidable deaths and strengthen oversight of medical practitioners nationwide.