There has been widespread grief in Nigeria following the death of 26-year-old aspiring singer Ifunanya Nwangene, who died on Saturday after being bitten by a snake in her Abuja apartment.
Nwangene rose to public attention after appearing on The Voice Nigeria in 2021, where she was praised for her vocal range and ability to blend jazz, opera, classical music and soul. Friends say she had been planning her first solo concert later this year. She was also a trained architect.
Videos shared on social media show a snake handler removing a snake from her apartment, as bystanders screamed that it was a cobra. According to friends, two snakes were later found in the house.
A close friend, Sam Ezugwu, co-founder and music director of the Amemuso Choir where Nwangene sang, described her as a “rising star” with a promising future. Another friend, Hillary Obinna, said she had been asleep when the snake bit her, waking her abruptly.
After the bite, Nwangene initially sought treatment at a nearby clinic, which reportedly lacked antivenom. She was then taken to a hospital in Abuja. Ezugwu said the hospital had one of the required antivenoms but not the other.
“While doctors were trying to stabilise her, she couldn’t speak but could still make hand gestures,” he said. “She was struggling to breathe.”
Ezugwu said he left the hospital to search for the missing antivenom, but by the time he returned, Nwangene had died. Members of her choir had gathered at the hospital, hoping she would recover.
In a statement, the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi denied claims that antivenom was unavailable or that its response was inadequate. The hospital said its medical team administered immediate treatment, including intravenous fluids, oxygen, resuscitation efforts and polyvalent snake antivenom.
According to the hospital, Nwangene suffered severe complications from the bite and her condition deteriorated rapidly before she could be transferred to intensive care. Medical staff were unable to revive her.
Her death has reignited public debate in Nigeria about healthcare quality and patient safety, following several high-profile cases and allegations of medical negligence. Nigeria’s health minister has since acknowledged “systemic challenges” in the sector and announced the formation of a national task force on clinical governance and patient safety.
Although snakebites in Nigeria mostly affect rural communities, many Nigerians expressed shock that such a death occurred in an affluent area of the capital.
The World Health Organization describes snakebites as a neglected public health issue in many tropical countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 30,000 people die annually from snakebites, with shortages of antivenom and limited access to healthcare worsening outcomes.
Friends described Nwangene as kind, humble and exceptionally talented. “Everybody is shattered,” Obinna said. “We couldn’t sleep that night.”
