Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has called on state Houses of Assembly to urgently enact comprehensive healthcare legislation to address wh at he describes as a deepening crisis of medical negligence nationwide.
In a letter, dated February 4, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, Agbakoba warned that Nigeria’s current healthcare regulatory framework had failed to protect patients, enforce professional accountability, and prevent avoidable deaths.
The intervention follows the recent death of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of acclaimed writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, after what was meant to be a routine medical procedure at a private hospital in Lagos.
According to Agbakoba, the incident, reportedly involving the improper administration of Propofol, a high-risk anaesthetic, has once again exposed serious regulatory gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“This tragedy is not an isolated case,” Agbakoba wrote. “It is symptomatic of a systemic failure marked by weak oversight, poor accountability, and regulatory confusion.”
Drawing from over two decades of legal practice in medical malpractice cases, Agbakoba identified recurring failures across state healthcare systems.
These include preventable deaths during routine procedures, lack of independent inspection mechanisms, alleged tampering with medical records, and the continued operation of negligent practitioners without consequences.
He also criticised the concentration of both policy-making and regulatory enforcement powers in state ministries of health, describing it as a governance flaw that undermines accountability.
According to him, the dismantling or weakening of traditional supervisory structures, such as Chief Medical Officers and Health Inspectors, has left healthcare facilities largely unmonitored.
Agbakoba urged state legislatures to take the lead by enacting a unified Clinical Negligence and Patient Safety Law.
He proposed the establishment of independent State Healthcare Quality and Safety Commissions, separate from ministries of health, with powers to license, inspect, investigate, and sanction healthcare facilities.
He also recommended the creation of alternative compensation mechanisms to reduce the burden of prolonged litigation, including pre-litigation mediation, administrative redress schemes for lower-value claims, and specialised medical negligence divisions within State High Courts.
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