The sudden death of popular gospel singer Olayemi Bolaji, known as Toluwanisings, has raised concerns about Nigeria's healthcare system. Toluwanisings, 41, reportedly slumped on October 14 and was rushed to medical facilities in Ibadan, but was declined admission or treatment. He eventually died. Some cited a strike by resident doctors as a reason for the difficulty in accessing emergency care, but the University College Hospital, Ibadan denied this allegation.
Toluwanisings' case is not an isolated one, as many others have lost their lives due to poor emergency services and a near-comatose healthcare system. In 2020, former Super Eagles player Ajibade Babalade died of cardiac arrest in Ibadan after being allegedly denied treatment at a private hospital. The late Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, was also denied medical treatment at Maitama District General Hospital in Abuja in 2025.
Reports abound of medical misdiagnosis, poor laboratory services, and weak clinical oversight, leading to the untimely death of patients. In 2016, a total of 376,039 deaths reportedly occurred in Nigeria due to poor access to a quality healthcare system. A Lancet Global Health Commission Report noted that improved access to care was not sufficient to improve health in the face of poor-quality care.
The report provided the Health System Quality Control Profile for Nigeria, which noted that there were 545,898 deaths preventable from public health measures in 2016. According to the report, about five million deaths occur per year in low-and middle-income countries due to poor-quality care. Between 75,000 and 82,000 women die annually from pregnancy and birth complications.
Nigeria's healthcare system suffers from many other ailments, including a shortage of personnel, lack of electricity to power medical equipment, and a lack of Intensive Care Unit beds, oxygen support, and cardiac catheterisation laboratories. The average doctor-to-patient ratio is about one doctor for every 3,500 to 9,000 people, far below the WHO's recommended doctor-patient ratio of one doctor per 600 to 1,000 people.
The government has been urged to improve the allocation to and investment in the health sector. The 15 per cent national budget allocation to health, as agreed upon by African countries in Abuja in 2001, is achievable. The Nigerian Medical Association called for improved emergency medical services, saying emergency care was a critical measure of the overall quality of a country's healthcare system.
Private and general hospitals should procure more functional ambulances to quicken the process of taking patients in emergency situations to tertiary hospitals. Health workers should endeavour to stabilise patients in critical conditions first before demanding huge upfront payment. Nigerians are advised to go for regular medical check-ups, emphasising checking blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and cardiovascular examinations.
Key points
- The Nigerian healthcare system faces criticism for its poor emergency services and high number of sudden deaths.
- The country needs to improve its healthcare delivery priorities and invest in the health sector.
- The government has been urged to allocate 15 per cent of the national budget to health, as agreed upon by African countries in Abuja in 2001.
