Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery, with a patient in Abuja undergoing a kidney cancer operation remotely from a surgical console at the Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), Ogun State.
The procedure was carried out on Saturday in real time from a Toumai robotic surgery console at RHV, while the patient was at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja, in a collaboration involving RHV, RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital.
The operation, described as a telesurgery-assisted, robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, involved the removal of a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour. The development was also described by RHV as the first telesurgery procedure in West Africa.
Tele-robotic surgery, or remote surgery, allows a surgeon to operate on a patient from a different physical location using robotic surgical technology and a remote console.
Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, Professor of Urology and Transplantation and the surgeon who led the operation, said the procedure showed that telesurgery could be safely used to provide surgical care across different locations in Nigeria and beyond.
“Distance should never decide who receives safe surgery; this is what safe and trusted surgery looks like,” he said.
Ekwenna-Davis, who is also Co-Founder of RoboMed Global and a U.S.-based surgeon, said the patient was in good condition after the operation and was expected to be discharged within 24 hours.
He said the surgery took about three hours, with brief pauses during the procedure to confirm that the equipment and supporting systems were functioning properly.
According to him, the collaboration also demonstrated how hospitals in different parts of Nigeria could work together to deliver specialist surgical care.
He said the next phase would focus on building local expertise through continuous training, with a robotic academy expected to be established to train surgeons and other healthcare professionals.
The academy, he added, is expected to train at least 150 surgeons within two years.
Ekwenna-Davis said the initiative had received the support of the Minister of Health and other government institutions, while seeking further backing from private organisations and non-governmental organisations.
Dr Adedamola Dada, Chief Executive Officer of RHV, said the milestone demonstrated that Nigerians could access advanced surgical care without travelling outside the country.
“What has happened today is a demonstration that Nigerians can access modern healthcare without travelling abroad,” he said.
Dada said RHV was created to promote healthcare innovation and provide world-class medical services at affordable costs.
He explained that the initiative was not primarily driven by profit, but by the goal of demonstrating the possibilities of modern healthcare in Nigeria in line with the vision of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
He said the introduction of robotic and telesurgery would help expand access to complex procedures and reduce the need for Nigerians to seek specialist treatment abroad.
Dada also said the technology could serve as a channel for transferring specialist skills to patients across Nigeria, regardless of their location.
Addressing concerns about the reliability of remote surgery, he said RHV had put measures in place to minimise the impact of connectivity challenges through the use of reliable networks.
He noted that weather conditions could sometimes affect connectivity, while the quality of equipment and availability of trained personnel were also important to the success of telesurgery.
As part of efforts to develop the required workforce, Dada said RHV was establishing a robotic academy with RoboMed Global to train doctors, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and product specialists.
He called on the government to support Nigerians seeking specialised training in robotic surgery.
“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,” he said.
Dr Ibrahim Wada, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Nisa Premier Hospital, said the hospital had operated as 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,” Wada said.
Dr Kunle Onakoya, Chairman of the Board of RHV, also described the development as historic and called on those involved to recognise their contribution to the milestone.
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 as the remote operation was performed.
(NAN)
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