Human rights activist, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has called for urgent legislative intervention to address what he described as a deepening crisis of medical negligence in Nigeria.
Agbakoba made this call in a letter dated February 4, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin.
He demanded holistic reforms of healthcare regulation at the state level to stem recurring cases of preventable deaths linked to medical negligence.
The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) expressed concern over what he termed absolutely preventable deaths arising from lapses by healthcare practitioners, warning that existing regulatory frameworks have failed to ensure accountability and patient safety.
He cited the recent death of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Ivara Esege, following what was said to be a routine medical procedure at a private hospital in Lagos, as a tragic example that has once again exposed weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare oversight system.
Drawing from over two decades of experience in medical malpractice litigation, during which he said he had handled more than 50 cases nationwide, Agbakoba described the situation as a systemic healthcare crisis.
According to him, the crisis is marked by preventable deaths from routine procedures, inadequate pre-operative assessments, monitoring failures, improper medication administration, and the absence of independent oversight mechanisms.
He also raised concerns about alleged tampering with medical records to evade liability, weak accountability systems that allow negligent practitioners to operate without consequences, and the over-centralisation of regulatory authority within state ministries of health.
“Older supervisory structures, such as Chief Medical Officers and Health Inspectors, which once ensured compliance and accountability, have either disappeared or become ineffective under current state health laws.
“Many states have failed to meet Nigeria’s commitment under the 2001 Abuja Declaration to allocate at least 15 per cent of annual budgets to healthcare.
“The time to act is now,” Agbakoba said, warning that without urgent reforms, preventable tragedies would continue to undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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