Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused Euracare Hospital, Lagos, of medical negligence following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, on January 7, 2026.
In an emotional account, Adichie said she believes her son would still be alive if not for what occurred at the hospital during a medical procedure.
According to the writer, her family had travelled to Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu developed what initially appeared to be a mild cold but later escalated into a severe infection. He was admitted to Atlantis Hospital, where plans were made to fly him to the United States the following day.
Adichie explained that a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore had already been prepared to receive her son, and traveling doctors were scheduled to accompany him. As part of the preparations, doctors requested a lumbar puncture, MRI, and the insertion of a central line ahead of the flight.
“Atlantis hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done,” she said.
Describing the events of January 6, Adichie recalled that her son was taken to Euracare in his father’s arms and that she was informed he would need to be sedated to prevent movement during the MRI and central line procedure.
“I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had happened,” she said.
Adichie alleged that her son was administered an excessive dose of propofol and was not adequately monitored.
“A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol. He had seizures. Cardiac arrest. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone,” she stated.
She further alleged that proper medical protocols were not followed, describing the incident as “criminal negligence” and calling the experience “living your worst nightmare.”
Adichie also raised concerns about the anesthesiologist involved, claiming she has since learned of two previous cases in which the same doctor allegedly overdosed children.
“Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child,” she said.
In response, Euracare Hospital expressed sympathy to the family and confirmed that it has commenced a thorough internal investigation into the incident.
Nkanu Nnamdi was one of Adichie’s twin sons, born via surrogacy in 2024. The author and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, also share a daughter born in 2016.
