Nigeria has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of a young singer who was fatally bitten by a snake in Abuja, the country’s capital, on Saturday. The victim, 26-year-old Ifunanya Nwangene, had been steadily building a name for herself in Nigeria’s music scene after her appearance on The Voice Nigeria in 2021. Admired for her wide vocal range, she seamlessly blended jazz, classical, opera and soul, earning praise from audiences and fellow musicians alike.

Disturbing footage circulating online shows a snake handler extracting a reptile from her apartment, as shocked onlookers shout warnings that it was a cobra. Friends later confirmed that more than one snake was discovered inside the home.

Sam Ezugwu, co-founder and music director of the Amemuso Choir, where Nwangene was a lead singer, described her as a gifted performer whose career was just beginning to take off. Speaking to the BBC, he said she had been preparing for her first solo concert later this year, alongside her professional work as a trained architect.

Another close friend, Hillary Obinna, recalled being told that Nwangene had been asleep when the snake struck. “The bite woke her up,” he said, adding that the situation quickly became dire.

After the attack, Nwangene initially sought help at a nearby clinic, but staff there reportedly did not have antivenom. She was then transferred to a hospital, where Ezugwu rushed to meet her after hearing the news. According to him, the hospital had only one of the two antivenoms required to treat her condition.

“By the time I arrived, she couldn’t speak anymore,” Ezugwu said. “She was using her hands to communicate, struggling to breathe while doctors tried to stabilise her.”

He explained that he left the hospital in a desperate attempt to locate the missing antivenom elsewhere in the city. When he returned, Nwangene had died. That evening, members of the Amemuso Choir gathered at the hospital, clinging to hope. “We were all praying for a miracle,” Ezugwu said. Obinna described the late singer as kind, humble and exceptionally intelligent. “Everyone is broken,” he said. “Nobody could sleep that night.”

Nwangene’s death has intensified national conversations around Nigeria’s healthcare system, particularly concerns about emergency response, access to life-saving medication and patient safety. The tragedy follows a series of high-profile allegations of medical negligence, including the recent death of novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21-month-old son — a case in which the hospital involved has denied wrongdoing.

Amid mounting public pressure, Nigeria’s health minister has acknowledged deep-rooted problems within the system and announced the formation of a national task force focused on clinical governance and patient safety.

While snakebites in Nigeria are most commonly associated with rural communities, many people expressed shock that such a fatal incident could occur in an affluent area of Abuja.

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies venomous snakebites as a neglected public health issue across many tropical and subtropical regions. In Africa alone, an estimated 435,000 to 580,000 snakebites requiring medical treatment occur each year.

According to the WHO, these bites result in roughly 30,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa, though experts believe the true figure may be far higher. Women, children and farmers in rural areas are most at risk, particularly where healthcare facilities are under-resourced.

Specialists say limited access to antivenom remains one of the biggest challenges. Shortages force many victims to turn to traditional healers, leaving cases undocumented. Even when antivenom is available, high costs and storage difficulties — especially in regions with unreliable electricity — continue to put treatment out of reach for many.

Nwangene’s death has become a painful symbol of these wider systemic failures, prompting renewed calls for urgent reform.