Following the death of Ifunanya Nwangene, who died on Saturday due to a snake bite, Nigerians have taken to the country’s social media space to express frustration over the failure of health institutions to save the life of the aspiring singer.
According to netizens, Nwangene’s death could have been prevented if the hospitals she was rushed to had antivenom in stock.
The 26-year-old, who used TikTok to further project her talent after appearing on The Voice Nigeria in 2021, was bitten by a snake at her residence in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Reports indicate that the rising music star was rushed to two hospitals before giving up the ghost due to the inability of the facilities to administer antivenom.
Describing the situation as pathetic, netizens said Nwangene’s case gained attention because of her popularity on social media, stressing that similar situations occur in most Nigerian hospitals.
A popular netizen, Aproko Doctor, stated: “What if I tell you it is the system that killed her? Snakes bite people everywhere, whether you are in the bush or the city, in India, Australia, or other countries.
“Snakes bite people everywhere, but they do not die like this. They do not die just because they went to two hospitals and were told straight to their faces that antivenom was unavailable in a country where snakes live, in 2026, not 1980 or 1970.
“And when you think about it, Nigeria has a particular antivenom developed for Nigerian snakes. It is called ‘Echitab’. The question is: why was this antivenom not in the fridges of the hospitals she went to? Simply because we have forgotten the basics.
“Our politicians are building flyovers where ambulances do not exist. We are focusing on building ultramodern hospitals, whereas the primary healthcare centre, which should be the first point of call in any functioning country, is neglected.”
On his part, human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, said: “The University College Hospital, Ibadan, was the preferred hospital for the Saudi royal family in the late 1950s and 1960s. It was that good. But in 2026 Nigeria, lives are being lost because our hospitals lack basic antivenoms, while our doctors are all abroad.”
An animal and nature enthusiast, popularly known as Arojinle, stressed that: “UCH is among the top three medical facilities in Nigeria, yet it does not have antivenom. The same applies to Adeoyo State Hospital, the top state hospital in Ibadan. That is the situation in the country.
“I know of someone who needed antivenom at one time. They went to 12 pharmacies but could not get it until they visited the 13th pharmacy.”