Nigeria’s medical regulatory authority has suspended three senior doctors following the death of the 21-month-old son of a renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Her child, Nkanu Adichie-Esege, died on January 7, 2026, after complications during medical procedures carried out at two private medical facilities in Lagos. The tragedy prompted an investigation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the body responsible for regulating medical practice in the country.
Following its inquiry, the council’s Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel concluded that there was a prima facie case of medical negligence and professional misconduct in the treatment of the child. As a result, the council issued interim suspension orders against three doctors pending the outcome of formal disciplinary proceedings.
The suspended practitioners include Dr. Tosin Majekodunmi, the medical director of Euracare Multi‑Specialist Hospital, Dr. Titus Ogundare, an anaesthesiologist at the same hospital, and Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh, chief medical director of Atlantis Paediatric Hospital. The council stated that the doctors will remain barred from practicing medicine while the case proceeds before the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Disciplinary Tribunal.
Investigators examined affidavits and testimonies from medical staff involved in the child’s care before making their decision during the panel’s 25th session in Abuja. The council emphasized that its findings are preliminary and do not represent a final ruling on liability, noting that the doctors are entitled to a full hearing before the disciplinary tribunal.
Who is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a renowned Nigerian writer and public intellectual celebrated for her powerful storytelling on identity, culture, feminism, and the African experience.
Born in 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria, she rose to global fame through critically acclaimed novels such as Purple Hibiscus, which explores family and religious oppression, Half of a Yellow Sun, a historical novel set during the Nigerian Civil War, and Americanah, which examines race, migration, and belonging between Nigeria and the United States.
She is also widely known for her influential feminist essay We Should All Be Feminists, adapted from her popular TED Talk, which has become an important text in global conversations about gender equality.
The writer and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, had previously accused the hospitals of negligence, alleging that their son was over-sedated and deprived of adequate oxygen during treatment, which led to cardiac arrest.
Meanwhile, Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital has defended its staff, expressing confidence in the professionalism and integrity of the doctors affected by the suspension. The hospital said it would cooperate fully with regulators and the judicial process as the case continues.
The death of the child has ignited broader conversations in Nigeria about patient safety, medical oversight and accountability within the country’s healthcare system.
