No evidence photo shows doctors using phone flashlights during surgery in Nigeria
IN SHORT: A photo has been widely posted online, with the claim it shows Nigerian doctors using phone flashlights during surgery amid power outages in 2026. But the image first appeared online in 2023 and was linked to another country. There is no credible evidence that it's from Nigeria.
Several Facebook users have posted what they claim is a photo of Nigerian doctors using their phone flashlights during a surgical operation at a Nigerian teaching hospital.
One post from 26 March 2026 reads, in part: "Major Svrgery Done With Phone Flashlights - Video From Nigerian Teaching Hospital Sparks Outrage."
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The post features a screenshot of a post on X with the photo of the doctors in what looks like an operating room, holding their phones as a makeshift light.
Poor electricity supply in Nigeria is a long-standing issue, and it affects daily life, business, and the overall economy.
On 23 January, the national power grid recorded its first collapse for the year, causing widespread power outages in the country. Since then, Nigerians have been complaining about insufficient power supply.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator announced that Nigeria's electricity generation has dropped further below the 4,000-megawatt threshold due to gas supply shortages affecting thermal power plants across the country.
The minister of power, Adebayo Adelabu, has also apologised to Nigerians over the issues.
It's in this context that the photo of doctors operating by flashlight has started circulating, with the claim it shows a Nigerian hospital.
The photo was found here, here and here. But what does it really show? We checked.
No evidence
Africa Check carried out a reverse image search of the photo and found it was posted online as early as 2023, including on Reddit, a social media platform.
The Reddit post from 25 September of that year reads: "Soo It's not going well in Ghana." The post has attracted over 10,000 likes and nearly 500 comments from users since it was posted.
We found no concrete evidence that the photo was taken in Ghana, though a fact-check by Nigerian Democratic Reporting traced the photo to an X post by a Ghanaian user published on 23 September.
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While the image does not appear to be fabricated, multiple commentators suggest that it may have been staged, to only make it look as though the power was out, as the air-conditioning unit in the background of the image appears to show a light. We could not find evidence of the photo being staged, either, but it is one more indication that it does not conclusively show a power-cut during an operation in a Nigerian hospital, as claimed.
The origin of the image is uncertain but it has been used widely in different contexts to illustrate failing infrastructure. Although Nigeria continues to experience intermittent power supply, there is no evidence that the photo was taken in Nigeria or at a Nigerian teaching hospital.
