Nigerian hospitals team up for groundbreaking robotic surgery

The Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), along with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, has carried out what they call Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the surgery took place in real time on Saturday from a Toumai console at RHV on a patient at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja.

The operation was a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, which was done to remove a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.

Tele-robotic surgery, also known as remote surgery, allows a surgeon to operate on a patient from a different physical location.

After the surgery, Obi Ekwenna-Davis, a professor of Urology and Transplantation who led the procedure, spoke about the patient's condition. He said the surgery showed that telesurgery could be safely done on patients in various parts of Nigeria and beyond.

Mr Ekwenna-Davis, who co-founded RoboMed Global, said this was a major 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 US-based surgeon noted that the patient was in good condition and should be discharged within 24 hours. He mentioned that the procedure lasted about three hours, with short breaks to ensure that the equipment and systems worked well.

Mr Ekwenna-Davis highlighted the importance of the collaboration, saying it was the first time two hospitals in different parts of Nigeria effectively worked together to provide surgical care to a patient.

He added that the success of this initiative would rely on ongoing training, mentioning that a robotic academy would soon be set up to train surgeons and other medical staff.

According to him, the aim of the academy is to train at least 150 surgeons in the next two years. He also said the programme has the support of the Minister of Health and other government bodies, and he called for more help from private and non-governmental organizations.

Earlier, Adedamola Dada, the CEO of RHV, said this marks the first telesurgery in West Africa. He explained that RHV was created to encourage innovation and provide world-class healthcare at affordable prices.

“What happened today shows that Nigerians can access modern healthcare without going abroad,” he stated. He emphasized that the initiative was not just about making profit but aimed at showing Nigerians what modern healthcare can offer, in line with the vision of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Mr Dada mentioned that this achievement has made the hospital a key place for transferring specialist skills to patients all over Nigeria. He said adding robotic surgery and telesurgery at RHV aims to cut down medical tourism and improve access to complex surgeries within Nigeria.

The CEO noted that they have put plans in place to tackle potential connectivity issues by using reliable networks. He explained that weather can sometimes affect connectivity, while quality equipment and skilled personnel are also crucial for successful telesurgery.

Dada confirmed that the hospital is setting up a robotic academy with RoboMed Global to train doctors, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers, and product specialists. He urged the government to support and fund medical professionals who want to learn robotic surgery skills.

“My message to government is to support and fund Nigerians, the surgeons, the nurses, and the biomedical engineers who want to train here. They can offer scholarships so that in two or three years, Nigeria will have many professionals able to perform robotic surgery,” he said.

Ibrahim Wada, the CEO and founder of Nisa Premier Hospital, said their facility has been a centre for robotic surgery in West Africa since November 2025. “Today, our patient received expert surgical care from across the country without leaving Abuja. This is what happens when Nigerian institutions choose to work together,” Wada said.

Additionally, Kunle Onakoya, chairman of the Board of RHV, called this development historic and encouraged everyone involved to recognize their part in creating this milestone for Nigeria. NAN reports that RHV is a faith-based 300-bed multispecialty hospital set up by the Redeemed Christian Church of God. NAN also reports that journalists watched the procedure live on television at RHV.