Tragic Snakebite: A Call for Urgent Action in Nigeria

Mon Feb 09 2026 01:00:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The untimely death of talented soprano Ifunanya Nwangene underscores the critical challenges in addressing snakebite health crises in Nigeria—a poignant reminder of the need for better emergency medical responses and access to antivenoms.

Ifunanya Nwangene, a celebrated soprano singer, died following a snakebite in Nigeria, raising alarms over inadequate medical responses to such emergencies. Despite the country's high incidence of snakebites, many hospitals struggle with a lack of essential antivenoms. Her unfortunate demise has ignited a national dialogue on improving healthcare responses and access to treatment for snakebites in a country where such incidents are often underreported.

Ifunanya Nwangene was asleep last Saturday morning in her ground-floor apartment in Nigeria's capital city when she was awoken at around 08:00 by a searing pain on her wrist.

A snake came up on her bed and bit her, Ifunanya's father Christopher Nwangene told the BBC's Newsday programme.

He was relating the events that led to his daughter's tragic death, which has raised serious concerns about how hospitals deal with snakebites, and the availability of antivenom across Nigeria, which has the world's third-highest incidence of snakebites.

Ifunanya, a well-known soprano singer in Nigeria - finding fame a few years ago on the local version of the TV competition The Voice, knew she had to get antivenom at a hospital as soon as possible.

Her father said she also applied a tourniquet, tying a piece of rope tightly around her arm.

This used to be the recommendation for snakebites to stop the venom spreading through the body - though this is no longer the advice as a tourniquet, which stops the flow of blood, can cause tissue damage and increase the risk of amputation.

Instead, snakebite victims are told to keep calm, immobilise an affected limb and seek emergency medical care immediately.

But it is hard not to panic when one arrives at a hospital to find there is no antivenom, which happened to Ifunanya, meaning she had to go to another one.

The 26-year-old singer phoned her father when she later got to Abuja's Federal Medical Centre, Jabi - and he then called his brother, who lives in the capital, to go and check on her.

She was not in a good way when her uncle got to the hospital - her tourniquet had been removed and she was put on a drip.

Immediately they gave her the drip, the little girl started going down immediately. She said: 'Daddy, I cannot speak,' Nwangene recalled.

Ifunanya's close friend, Sam Ezugwu, had also rushed to the hospital when he heard the news and told the BBC that some antivenom had been given to her, but more was needed.

While they were trying to stabilise her, she could not speak but she could make hand gestures. She was struggling to breathe, said Ezugwu, who is music director of the Amemuso Choir where Ifunanya sang.

He went out looking for another vial of antivenom - as did her uncle.

This version of events has since been disputed by the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, which has denied the antivenom was unavailable and said claims its response was inadequate were unfounded.

In Nigeria what is known as a polyvalent antivenom is usually used to treat snakebites, which means it can be used for bites from a variety of snakes.

The amount needed depends on the severity of the bite and the type of snake - with a vial currently costing between 45,000 naira ($33; £24) and 80,000 naira ($58; £43).

They asked my brother to go and buy antivenom from [a] pharmacy, Nwangene said, explaining that he had to go to several places.

But when he found some, it was too late. Ezugwu also returned with a vial to find Ifunanya had died.

Nwangene feels the hospital authorities did not do enough for his daughter - and questions why they removed the tourniquet if they did not have the medication to treat her.

Her death has prompted widespread grief and urgent questions about the country's readiness to tackle a persistent and lethal public health issue.

In response to Ifunanya's death, the Nigerian Senate has called on the health ministry and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac) to ensure the nationwide availability of safe, effective and affordable antivenoms.

However, the motion did not set a specific timeline for action.

With real political commitment, experts believe that these preventable deaths can be avoided.