LAGOS, Nigeria, Jan. 11, 2026 — Award-winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused a Lagos hospital, Euracare, of medical negligence following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, saying the child would be alive “if not for an incident” during a procedure a day before his death.
In a statement posted on social media and widely circulated by Nigerian outlets, Adichie said the family took the child to Euracare on Jan. 6 for an MRI scan and insertion of a central line, after he fell ill during a Christmas visit to Lagos and was admitted at another facility. She said he was sedated with propofol for the procedures and later suffered loss of responsiveness, seizures and cardiac arrest, dying on Jan. 7.
Adichie alleged the anaesthesiologist administered an excessive dose and that the child was not properly monitored after sedation, describing the handling as “criminally negligent.” She also claimed the family later heard of previous incidents involving the same doctor and asked why the hospital continued to allow him to work.
Euracare, in a separate public response reported by local media, expressed condolences but denied wrongdoing and said it had opened an internal review into the circumstances surrounding the case.
The Lagos State Government has also ordered an independent probe. BusinessDay reported that the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA)—the state body that regulates and accredits health facilities—said its investigation would examine compliance with clinical protocols, patient-safety standards, and professional conduct, working with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and other regulators.
Medical experts note that propofol is a potent sedative associated with dose-dependent respiratory and cardiovascular depression, and that professional guidance emphasizes continuous, uninterrupted monitoring during administration to detect early signs of airway obstruction, apnea or oxygen desaturation.
Adichie first announced her son’s death earlier this week and requested privacy as the family mourns.
Regulators have not yet released findings. HEFAMAA and Euracare’s reviews are expected to determine whether established procedures were followed, and whether any individual or institutional sanctions are warranted.
