Dr Olisa Agbakoba has called on the Federal Government to immediately restablish an independent Health Regulatory Authority with powers to inspect facilities, enforce standards, and sanction non-compliance public and private hospitals.

Agbakoba, SAN Senior Partner & Head Medical Practice, Olisa Agbakoba Legal, made the call today, citing the case of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s son , and other Nigerians who have died as a result of medical negligences.

While commiserating with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, Agbakoba noted that the fundamental problem underlying these tragedies is the complete failure of the legal and regulatory framework governing Nigeria’s health sector.

Agbakoba noted that in the old days, the healthcare system functioned under a robust supervisory structure. Chief Medical Officers and Health Inspectors were responsible for oversight of critical care, ensuring compliance with standards, and holding practitioners accountable.

“The last Chief Medical Officer of Nigeria was Dr. Samuel Layinka Manuwa.Today, under the National Health Act and State Health Laws, this essential regulatory infrastructure no longer exists.

He emphasised, ” Our health sector has become over centralised under the Federal Minister of Health, causing states to become lax in oversight responsibilities.

As a result, health facilities and medical practitioners operate with alarming impunity.

There is no requirement for routine submission of reports, no systematic inspections, and no effective enforcement of professional standards. Ministers of Health and Commissioners of Health have assumed roles that conflate policy-making with regulatory enforcement—a fundamental governance failure.

There must be a clear separation of functions: Health Ministers and Commissioners should focus on policy development and strategic direction, whilst independent Health Inspectors and regulatory bodies must be empowered to enforce standards, conduct inspections, and ensure accountability,” he said.

” As a medical negligence legal specialist, I must express grave concern about the recurring incidents of absolutely preventable deaths resulting from medical negligence by health practitioners across Nigeria.

“There must be a clear separation of functions: Health Ministers and Commissioners should focus on policy development and strategic direction, whilst independent Health Inspectors and regulatory bodies must be empowered to enforce standards, conduct inspections, and ensure accountability.”

Agbakoba, therefore emphasised for:

1.Reinstitution of the Office of Chief Medical Officer at federal and state levels with clear enforcement mandates;

2. Mandatory registration and periodic inspection of all health facilities with transparent reporting requirements;

3. Independent investigation mechanisms with powers to access and preserve medical records, preventing tampering or alteration;

4. Clear separation between policy formulation and regulatory enforcement within the health sector governance structure;

5.Comprehensive legislative reform to update Nigeria’s health laws to reflect modern standards of care, accountability, and patient protection; and the time for comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s health system is long overdue.

“We cannot continue to lose precious lives to preventable medical errors whilst the regulatory framework remains in shambles.

This is a matter of national emergency that demands immediate legislative and executive action,” he said.