Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The death of Yoruba gospel singer Olayemi Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, has renewed calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare system following reports that several hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State, failed to provide him with treatment after he collapsed.
The singer’s personal assistant, Babadunni Olayemi, said efforts to save his life involved taking him to several hospitals, where they encountered difficulties accessing medical care.
“They took him to different hospitals. Some said the doctors were on strike, while others said he was rejected at the hospitals. We all tried, praying for him and taking him around to hospitals. We took him to about seven or eight different hospitals here in Ibadan, but God said it was his time,” he said.
The controversy has drawn attention to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, following suggestions that a resident doctors’ strike affected access to emergency services. However, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Enitan, said services had resumed after the industrial action was suspended.
“The hospital is running its services. The strike was a local one within the hospital; it was not a national strike. I was not aware that he was brought to UCH. I was not officially informed that he was brought to UCH. There was no record of it with the management,” she said.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said she was unaware of the singer’s death when contacted. The state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, did not respond to calls or a WhatsApp message seeking his reaction.
Toluwanisings’ death has also prompted tributes from fellow entertainers and renewed criticism of emergency medical services in Nigeria. Comedian and content creator Ayo Ajewole, popularly known as Woli Agba, described the singer as a musician with a “very unique voice” whose songs touched lives and created lasting memories.
Woli Agba also recalled that the singer had expressed concerns about the country’s healthcare system. “What he feared most and talked about repeatedly was what eventually affected him. He said many times, if not for anything, he would consider going abroad just because of Nigeria’s unreliable healthcare system,” he wrote.
Gospel singer Esther Igbekele described Toluwanisings as humble and kind-hearted, recalling that he sent financial support for her mother’s funeral despite being unable to attend. Comedian and skit maker Akewusola Oladipupo, known as MC Always, also called for greater government accountability and improved emergency medical services.
Social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, blamed the reported difficulties in accessing treatment for the tragedy, saying, “If the hospitals were not on strike, Toluwanisings would be alive.” However, the precise circumstances and medical cause of the singer’s death have not been established, and no evidence presented in the account confirms that a particular hospital’s actions caused his death.
Born in Ikirun, Osun State, Toluwanisings grew up in a Muslim family and was known as Sodiq before converting to Christianity. He initially pursued a career in fuji music before transitioning to gospel, developing a distinctive style that blended contemporary gospel with Yoruba musical influences. He graduated in Estate Management and Valuation from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, in 2017.
His death has also brought renewed attention to previous cases involving alleged delays in emergency treatment. Former Super Eagles player Ajibade Babalade died in Ibadan in 2020 after suffering cardiac arrest, with reports at the time raising questions about access to treatment. In 2025, the death of Arise News anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu following an armed robbery at her Abuja residence also prompted allegations of delayed treatment at Maitama District General Hospital. Those allegations highlighted broader concerns about emergency response and referral procedures.
The Nigerian Medical Association has called for increased investment in emergency medical services, better-equipped healthcare facilities and an effective referral system to prevent patients from losing valuable time moving between hospitals.
The NMA National Secretary, Dr Desmond Tamunokuro, said hospitals unable to manage a patient’s condition should ensure appropriate referral rather than leave patients without a clear pathway to treatment.
“If the hospital’s available manpower and equipment cannot take care of the patient’s immediate health concern, the right thing for the hospital to do is to refer, not reject, the patient.
“But a referral at that stage may appear to the patient as a rejection. The hospital has clearly said by that action that the available manpower and equipment are not enough to provide immediate care for that patient.”
The association’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof Olayinka Atilola, similarly explained that referrals could be necessary when hospitals lacked the expertise, personnel or equipment to manage complicated cases.
“Sometimes what we call rejection is an admission of the fact that I am not trained or equipped to handle this case. It takes a lot of humility to say that you don’t have the knowledge, the skill, the experience or the equipment to handle a case.”
He added that Nigeria needed an organised paramedical emergency response system capable of assessing patients, identifying suitable hospitals and transporting them promptly to facilities equipped to provide appropriate care.
Meanwhile, Toluwanisings’ family has restricted journalists and visitors from taking photographs or recording videos within its compound in Oluwakeeyin Community, Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State, as relatives, colleagues and friends gathered to mourn the singer.
A notice at the gate warned against photography and video recording, while residents declined to discuss the death in detail out of respect for the family’s instructions.
