Buying time: Why Nigerians can’t live longer

Malik's mother hugged her child as she felt the breath leave him. He was her second of five children but had the most promising future. Although he was 12, he had just started attending the nearby primary school, fully funded by some good Samaritans who had come to seek her permission first. Her son had also been the most active, so when he wasn't his usual cheerful self, she immediately knew something was wrong.

Visiting the hospital was usually the last resort because she couldn't afford it, so she tried other things: agbo (herbs), force-feeding him and intense monitoring. Two days before he died and five days after the fever started, she decided to take him to the nearby clinic. The trip was short and unfruitful because she couldn't afford the ₦500 medication the doctor had prescribed for her. She had hoped to seek help from people around, but no