Writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Ivara Esege, have said they are seeking accountability and reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare system following the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi.

The couple said their pursuit of answers was not motivated by financial compensation but by the need to ensure that other Nigerians do not go through a similar experience.

In an interview with The New York Times, Adichie and Esege said they wanted the inquiry into their son’s death to help expose gaps in the country’s healthcare system and push for changes that could prevent similar incidents.

Nkanu died at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos in January after suffering cardiac arrest while undergoing preparations for a brain MRI.

Adichie said the child was sedated with Propofol for the procedure before suffering cardiac arrest. She recalled being told by a doctor that Nkanu had been given too much of the drug.

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria subsequently established a prima facie case of negligence against three physicians involved in the child’s treatment, with the doctors suspended pending further proceedings. One of the physicians was later cleared.

The circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death are also being examined by a coroner’s inquest in Lagos, which has been delayed amid legal proceedings.

The couple said they hoped the inquest would not only provide answers about their son’s death but also help Nigerians who may have suffered harm in the healthcare system but lacked the means or influence to demand accountability.

Esege said the only thing they could do was try to help and hopefully ensure that someone else would not have to go through a similar experience.

Euracare has denied allegations of negligence and maintained that its medical team acted in accordance with accepted standards.

Adichie and Esege said they would continue to pursue answers through the relevant processes, stressing that their broader concern was to see a healthcare system where patients are better protected and medical errors are properly addressed.