Nigeria performs first tele-robotic surgery

Nigeria has performed its first tele-robotic surgery, enabling a surgeon to operate remotely on a patient in Abuja.
The procedure connected a surgeon to a patient remotely, demonstrating new possibilities for advanced surgical care.
The procedure involved a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy to remove a kidney affected by a tumour and was carried out in real time using a robotic surgical console, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Obi Davies-Ekwenna, Professor of Urology and Transplantation, led the operation from a Toumai robotic console at Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV) in Mowe, Ogun State, while the patient was at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja.
The procedure lasted around three hours.
Professor Davies-Ekwenna is co-founder of RoboMed Global, a medical technology company focused on expanding access to advanced surgical technology, supporting surgical teams, and building the capacity required for the next generation of surgery.
A distinguished urologist, transplant and robotic surgeon dedicated to advancing the medtech company’s vision of delivering safe, trusted surgical care in Africa, he said the development was a significant achievement for RHV and its partners.
‘Distance should never decide who receives safe surgery; this is what safe and trusted surgery looks like,’ he said.
The achievement demonstrated tele-robotic surgery’s potential to connect specialist medical expertise with patients across Nigeria and internationally.
Adedamola Dada, a healthcare executive involved in the initiative, said the technology could give patients access to advanced medical procedures without travelling abroad, while enabling the transfer of specialist skills between healthcare centres.
The initiative also includes plans to establish a robotic surgery academy to train doctors, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and other specialists.
Experts say the programme aims to train at least 150 surgeons over the next two years, supporting the development of expertise in robotic surgery and telesurgery in Nigeria.