Nigeria has recorded West Africa’s first tele-robotic surgery after surgeons remotely performed a complex kidney operation on a patient in Abuja.
The Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), in collaboration with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, carried out the surgery in real time on Saturday.
The operation was performed from a Toumai robotic surgery console at RHV on a patient at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja.
The procedure was a telesurgery-assisted, robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, which involved removing 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 using robotic technology and telecommunications systems.
Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, Professor of Urology and Transplantation and Co-Founder of RoboMed Global, led the procedure.
Speaking after the surgery, Ekwenna-Davis said the operation showed that telesurgery could be safely performed on patients in different parts of Nigeria and potentially across the world.
“Distance should never decide who receives safe surgery; this is what safe and trusted surgery looks like.”
Ekwenna-Davis, a US-based surgeon, said the patient was in good condition and was expected to be discharged within 24 hours.
He said the procedure lasted about three hours, with brief pauses to confirm that the equipment and systems were functioning properly.
According to him, the operation was also the first successful collaboration between two hospitals in different parts of Nigeria to provide surgical care to a patient through telesurgery.
Ekwenna-Davis said the long-term success of the initiative would depend on continuous training.
He said a robotic academy would soon be established to train surgeons and other medical professionals, with a target of training at least 150 surgeons within two years.
He added that the programme had the support of the Minister of Health and other government institutions, while calling for further backing from private and non-governmental organisations.
Dr Adedamola Dada, Chief Executive Officer of RHV, said the procedure marked the first telesurgery in West Africa. “What has happened today is a demonstration that Nigerians can access modern healthcare without travelling abroad.”
He said RHV was established to promote medical innovation and provide world-class healthcare at affordable costs.
Dada said the initiative was not primarily driven by profit but was intended to demonstrate what modern healthcare could offer Nigerians.
He said robotic surgery and telesurgery could help reduce medical tourism by making complex procedures available within Nigeria.
The RHV chief executive said the hospital had also put measures in place to reduce the risk of connectivity disruptions, which could affect remote surgery.
He identified reliable networks, equipment quality and the availability of skilled personnel as critical to the success of telesurgery.
Dada said RHV was establishing a robotic academy with RoboMed Global to train doctors, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and product specialists.
He urged the government to sponsor Nigerian medical professionals who want to acquire robotic surgery skills. “My message to government is to support and sponsor Nigerians, the surgeons, the nurses, the biomedical engineers who would want to come and do this training here. They can award scholarships to them so that within two to three years, Nigeria will have a lot of professionals who are capable of performing robotic surgery.”
Dr Ibrahim Wada, CEO and Founder of Nisa Premier Hospital, said the facility had been a centre for robotic surgery in West Africa since November 2025. “Today, our patient received specialist surgical expertise from across the country without leaving Abuja. This is what becomes possible when Nigerian institutions decide to build together.”
Dr Kunle Onakoya, Chairman of the RHV Board, described the procedure as historic and urged those involved to recognise their role in the development.
RHV is a faith-based 300-bed multispecialty hospital established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Journalists at RHV watched the procedure live on television.
Erizia Rubyjeana
Follow us on:
