The Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) has called for an urgent, independent investigation into the death of Nkanu, the young son of renowned writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, describing the incident as a serious failure of patient safety and clinical governance.
The pharmacists’ body said preliminary information surrounding the case suggests that internationally recognised standards for paediatric anaesthesia and medication safety may not have been followed, raising concerns about the use and monitoring of high-risk sedative drugs in young children.
In a statement issued on Friday, AHAPN National Chairman, Pharm. Elechi Oyim, warned that reports indicating the continuous administration of propofol to a child under the age of three run contrary to global medical guidelines, which caution against such practice because of the risk of Propofol Infusion Syndrome (PRIS).
Oyim explained that PRIS has been linked to severe metabolic complications, muscle breakdown, heart failure and sudden death, noting that international regulatory and professional bodies, including the World Health Organization, the United States Food and Drug Administration and leading British anaesthesia institutions, have repeatedly advised against prolonged propofol use in paediatric intensive care.
“This practice conflicts with well-established international safety standards. The FDA, for instance, does not approve propofol for long-term sedation in paediatric intensive care units due to documented fatalities associated with PRIS,” Oyim said.
He added that beyond the clinical concerns, the incident highlights broader weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare governance, particularly the absence of effective checks and balances in the use of high-risk medications. According to him, allowing a single clinician to prescribe, administer and monitor potent drugs without independent oversight exposes patients to avoidable danger.
“The routine sidelining of pharmacists in critical care decisions, especially in anaesthesia and paediatric settings, is a systemic governance failure. Clinical pharmacists are trained to identify unsafe drug choices, monitor dosages and durations, and intervene before harm occurs,” Oyim stated.
AHAPN therefore called for a transparent and thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Nkanu’s death, as well as urgent reforms to strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration and medication governance in Nigerian hospitals.
While expressing condolences to the Adichie family, Oyim stressed that paediatric patients deserve the highest level of protection. “This tragic loss should serve as a wake-up call. Healthcare must move from professional dominance to shared accountability, because anything less puts lives at unacceptable risk,” he said.
