For years, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been one of the world’s most prominent chroniclers of the Nigerian experience, her prose celebrated for its precision and emotional depth.
This week, the author of Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun turned her pen toward a private tragedy, releasing a searing statement that alleges medical negligence led to the death of her 21‑month‑old son, Nkanu.
The statement, which her media team confirmed was originally intended for family and close friends, recounts in harrowing detail how a routine medical transfer at a Lagos hospital on Jan. 6 became fatal.
A Journey for Care
Adichie wrote that her family had been in Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu developed what appeared to be a cold. The illness quickly worsened into a serious infection, leading to his admission to Atlantis Hospital.
Plans were made to fly the toddler to the United States on Jan. 7, where a specialised team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was prepared to receive him. To facilitate the transfer, doctors requested an MRI, a lumbar puncture and the insertion of a central line for intravenous medication.
For those procedures, the family was referred to Euracare Multi‑Specialist Hospital, often described as one of Nigeria’s premier private healthcare facilities.
‘Fatally Casual’
At the centre of Adichie’s account is the administration of propofol, a powerful sedative. She alleges that the anesthesiologist at Euracare gave her son an overdose and failed to monitor him during and after the procedure.
“My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital,” she wrote. “We brought in a child who was unwell but stable. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever.”
She described what she called “criminally negligent” conduct, claiming the anesthesiologist carried the sedated child on his shoulder rather than on a gurney equipped with monitoring devices.
After Nkanu became unresponsive and was resuscitated, Adichie alleges, the physician “casually switched off” his oxygen while transporting him to the intensive care unit. “How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?” she asked. “He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child.”
A Systemic Failure?
The tragedy has reignited debate over medical accountability in Nigeria. While private hospitals often serve the elite and the diaspora, critics argue that even high‑cost facilities frequently lack the oversight common in Western systems.
Adichie suggested that the incident may not have been isolated. “We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children,” she wrote. “Why did Euracare allow him to keep working?”
Euracare Hospital, in a statement to the Nigerian outlet TheCable, expressed sympathy to Adichie and her family, calling the loss “profound and unimaginable.”
The hospital said some reports contained inaccuracies but insisted that care was provided in line with international standards, with collaboration from external medical teams recommended by the family.
The hospital confirmed that an internal investigation has begun and pledged transparency, patient safety and due process, while respecting the family’s privacy.
