An inquest into the death of Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21-month-old son will formally begin on 14 April.
The date was set during a preliminary hearing at the Yaba Magistrate Court in Lagos, roughly seven weeks after Nkanu Nnamdi Esege died at a Euracare hospital.
Adiche and her family have accused Euracare of negligence, saying medics denied Nkanu oxygen and gave him too much sedation, causing a cardiac arrest.
The hospital expressed its “deepest sympathies” over the death but denied wrongdoing, saying its care had been in line with international standards.
During the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji directed all parties to file witness statements ahead of the inquest.
The court is expected to hear evidence from medical experts and hospital representatives as the coroner seeks to establish the circumstances and cause of Nkanu’s death.
According to submissions made to the court by Adichie’s legal team, Nkanu had initially been admitted to Atlantis Hospital in Lagos with what was described as a worsening but mild illness.
Plans had been made to transfer him to the United States for further treatment at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital.
But first, Atlantis Hospital referred the toddler to Euracare for pre-flight investigations, including an MRI and a spinal tap, or lumbar puncture.
He died on 7 January after undergoing these procedures.
In a legal notice three days later, lawyers for Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, accused Euracare of breaching the duty of care owed to the child.
The hospital denied this allegation.
Adichie, 48, is an award-winning writer known for a string of internationally successful novels, such as Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah.
She was born and raised in Nigeria but is now based in the US.
Adichie had her first child, a daughter, in 2016. Nkanu was one of twin boys born in 2024, using a surrogate.
His death has ignited an outcry over patient safety within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
