Broda Shaggi: A wake-up call for Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system — by Damilola Akinwale

For many Nigerians, the real test of a healthcare system is not how many hospitals it has, but whether people can get the right treatment when they need it most. For popular skitmaker Samuel Perry, better known as Broda Shaggi, this became a matter of life and death after he was hit by a stray bullet.

In a testimony shared on his YouTube page on Wednesday, Broda Shaggi recounted his struggle to get medical attention, which took him to three hospitals in Nigeria. He said the first hospital could only provide first aid, while the second lacked the equipment needed to treat him properly.

He was eventually taken to a third hospital, where he underwent an initial surgery before travelling to Dubai for further treatment. Although he survived, his experience has raised fresh concerns about the challenges patients face when seeking emergency care in Nigeria, particularly when hospitals lack the equipment needed to handle serious cases.

Beyond the physical pain, Broda Shaggi spoke about the emotional strain of not knowing whether he would recover. He explained that all he wanted at the time was reassurance from the medical professionals attending to him that he would be fine. That hope, he said, gave him the strength to keep going.

He also credited a doctor identified as Dr. Anil with helping to restore his confidence during recovery. Gradually, he began standing with support and later walking with crutches, marking progress after an experience that had left him uncertain about his future.

While Broda Shaggi survived and is making progress in his recovery, another incident involving a Nigerian entertainer has raised troubling questions about access to emergency medical care.

Another life lost, more questions raised

The death of singer Toluwanisings after he reportedly collapsed at his residence has sparked renewed concern about Nigeria’s emergency medical response. According to allegations by his associates, about eight hospitals turned him away during the emergency. They cited a lack of adequate equipment and strike action at some facilities as contributing factors.

The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, however, said it had no record of the incident in its register. The circumstances surrounding the singer’s death and the allegations about his treatment have not been independently established in the account presented.

Even so, the incident has brought attention to a worrying question: what happens when someone urgently needs medical care but cannot find a hospital equipped to provide it? For families watching a loved one’s condition deteriorate, every delay can be frightening.

Nigerian skitmaker Nosa Afolabi, popularly known as Lasisi Elenu, has also spoken about his mother’s experience at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). He raised concerns about healthcare delivery and alleged that he encountered problems, including a shortage of bed spaces and inadequate medical equipment.

His account adds to a growing number of public complaints about the difficulties patients and their families face when seeking treatment. While individual experiences cannot tell the full story of every hospital in Nigeria, they highlight wider concerns about the capacity of healthcare facilities, the resources available to them and the quality of care patients receive.

A health system under pressure

These incidents have drawn attention to long-standing problems in Nigeria’s healthcare system. As of October 2026, the government is pursuing reforms to improve healthcare delivery, but major challenges remain.

Inadequate funding, unequal access to medical services, shortages of healthcare workers, rising treatment costs and poorly equipped facilities continue to affect the sector.

Nigeria’s healthcare system has three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary care. Primary healthcare centres are meant to provide basic services within communities, secondary facilities handle more specialised treatment, while tertiary hospitals offer advanced care for complex medical conditions.

In reality, however, access to these services varies widely. Some communities have few functional primary healthcare centres, while patients who need specialist treatment often have to travel long distances or depend on overcrowded hospitals in major cities. Having a hospital nearby does not always mean that the right treatment is available.

Funding remains a major concern. Data on Nigeria’s performance against the 2001 Abuja Declaration show that public spending on healthcare has remained below the commitment by African Union member states to allocate at least 15 per cent of their annual budgets to the sector.

Although Nigeria’s 2025 health allocation reportedly increased from the previous year, questions remain about whether the funding and its implementation are enough to meet the population’s needs.

The effects are felt directly by patients. When public hospitals lack essential resources, people may have to buy medicines themselves, pay for tests at other facilities or turn to private hospitals, often at considerable expense. For low-income families, these costs can mean delaying treatment, borrowing money or going without the care they need.

The problem is made worse by the country’s heavy reliance on out-of-pocket payments. World Health Organization data have shown that Nigerian households bear a substantial share of healthcare costs, leaving many families financially vulnerable when illness strikes.

A September 2026 Afrobarometer report also found that only seven per cent of Nigerians surveyed said they had medical-aid coverage, pointing to the limited financial protection available to much of the population.

Without health insurance or other financial support, even a relatively simple medical condition can become expensive. Emergencies involving gunshot wounds, surgery, intensive care and lengthy rehabilitation can place an even heavier burden on patients and their families.

The people and facilities behind the crisis

The shortage of healthcare professionals is another major challenge. Doctors, nurses and midwives are essential to effective healthcare, yet many facilities struggle to maintain enough staff. The movement of skilled professionals to other countries, combined with the concentration of workers in major cities, also leaves underserved communities facing greater difficulties.

A 2025 survey of 5,099 primary healthcare facilities, cited in a May 2026 report by The Guardian, highlights the scale of the problem. According to the reported findings, 85 per cent of the facilities had no doctor, 61 per cent had no nurse or midwife, 38 per cent lacked water, and only 51 per cent had electricity.

These figures show that the problem goes beyond staffing. Healthcare workers need functioning facilities, reliable electricity and water, essential medicines and proper diagnostic equipment to treat patients effectively. Without these resources, even committed professionals may struggle to provide the care people need.

In some public hospitals and primary healthcare centres, a lack of beds, unreliable electricity, limited laboratory services and shortages of essential supplies affect the quality of care. Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines and medical products also leaves the sector vulnerable to exchange-rate changes and disruptions to international supplies, which can make essential products harder to obtain and more expensive.

The situation is often worse in rural and underserved communities, where qualified personnel and specialist services may be difficult to access. Patients may have to travel to larger towns or cities for treatment, adding transport costs and potentially losing valuable time during emergencies.

Nigeria also faces what is known as a double burden of disease. Malaria, tuberculosis and cholera remain major public health concerns, while conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease require sustained investment in prevention, diagnosis and long-term treatment.

Addressing these needs requires more than isolated projects or announcements. The country needs a healthcare system that can provide preventive services, routine treatment and emergency care while ensuring that people are not denied access because of where they live or how much they earn.

From reform to results

Despite the challenges, ongoing government initiatives offer opportunities to improve healthcare delivery. Their success, however, will depend on how well policies are implemented, whether hospitals receive consistent funding and how transparently public resources are managed.

Federal, state and local governments all have responsibilities within Nigeria’s healthcare system. Improving access will therefore require cooperation across all three levels, with particular attention to strengthening primary healthcare, upgrading hospitals, retaining skilled professionals and expanding financial protection for patients.

Emergency services also need urgent attention. Hospitals must have functional equipment, trained personnel, reliable referral arrangements and clear procedures for receiving critically ill or injured patients. When a facility cannot provide the required treatment, an effective referral system should help patients reach a better-equipped centre without unnecessary delays.

Expanding health insurance and other forms of financial support could also ease the burden on families who pay for treatment directly. Greater investment in local pharmaceutical production and more reliable supplies of essential medicines could help address shortages and reduce affordability concerns.

Ultimately, progress should not be measured only by new policies or the construction of hospitals. It should be measured by whether patients receive treatment on time, hospitals have the resources to handle emergencies and families can afford medical care without being pushed into financial hardship.

A question of survival

Broda Shaggi’s recovery shows how much timely treatment, proper equipment and reassurance from healthcare professionals can matter to a patient. His testimony also highlights the fear and uncertainty people may face when the hospitals they turn to cannot provide the care they need.

Toluwanisings’ death has raised similar concerns about whether the emergency response available to him was adequate. Although the specific allegations surrounding his treatment require careful verification, the wider questions about hospital capacity, referral systems and emergency preparedness cannot be ignored.

For ordinary Nigerians, these are not just policy debates. They are about parents trying to get treatment for their children, families struggling to pay hospital bills and patients hoping that a nearby hospital will be able to help when an emergency occurs.

The real question is not simply whether Nigeria has hospitals or healthcare policies. It is whether people can access affordable, timely, safe and quality medical care when they need it most.

Broda Shaggi survived his ordeal and continues to recover. But his account, alongside the concerns raised by other public figures, leaves a difficult question hanging over Nigeria’s healthcare system: Would Toluwanisings still be alive today if he had received treatment abroad?

There may never be a definitive answer. What the question highlights, however, is the urgent need for a system in which survival does not depend on finding the right hospital, having enough money to pay for treatment or travelling abroad to receive the care that should be available at home.

Damilola writes from Lagos