Nigerian hospitals collaborate to perform tele-robotic surgery

The Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), in collaboration with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, has performed what it described as Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery.

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

The procedure was a telesurgery-assisted, robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy performed to remove a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.

Tele-robotic surgery, also known as remote surgery, is a technique that enables a surgeon to perform an operation on a patient from a completely different physical location.

Speaking after the surgery at RHV, Obi Ekwenna-Davis, professor of Urology and Transplantation, who led the surgery, explained the medical condition of the patient.

He said the procedure demonstrated that telesurgery could be safely performed on patients in different parts of Nigeria and the world.

Mr Ekwenna-Davis, co-founder of RoboMed Global, 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 US-based surgeon said the patient was in good condition and expected to be discharged within 24 hours.

He said the procedure lasted about three hours, with brief stoppages to ensure that the equipment and systems functioned properly.

Mr Ekwenna-Davis said the collaboration was significant as it marked the first time two hospitals in different parts of Nigeria successfully collaborated to provide surgical care to a patient.

He said the sustainability of the initiative would depend on continuous training, adding that a robotic academy would soon be established to train surgeons and other medical professionals.

According to him, the academy aims to train at least 150 surgeons within the next two years.

Mr Ekwenna-Davis said the programme had the support of the Minister of Health and other government institutions, while calling for additional support from private and non-governmental organisations.

Earlier, Adedamola Dada, chief executive officer of RHV, said the development marked the first telesurgery in West Africa.

Mr Dada said RHV was established to promote innovation and provide world-class healthcare services at affordable costs.

“What has happened today is a demonstration that Nigerians can access modern healthcare without travelling abroad,” he said.

He said the initiative was not primarily profit-driven but aimed at demonstrating what modern healthcare could offer Nigerians, in line with the vision of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Mr Dada said the achievement had positioned the hospital as a gateway through which specialist skills could be transferred to patients across Nigeria.

He said the introduction of robotic surgery and telesurgery at RHV was aimed at reducing medical tourism and improving access to complex surgical procedures within the country.

The CEO said measures had been put in place to address possible connectivity challenges through the use of reliable networks.

He explained that weather conditions could sometimes affect connectivity, while the quality of equipment and availability of skilled personnel were also critical to the success of telesurgery.

Dada said the hospital was establishing a robotic academy in collaboration with RoboMed Global to train doctors, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and product specialists.

He urged the government to support and sponsor medical professionals interested in acquiring 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,” he said.

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Ibrahim Wada, chief executive officer 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,” Wada said.

Also, Kunle Onakoya, chairman of the Board of RHV, described the development as historic and urged participants to recognise their roles in creating a milestone for Nigeria.

NAN reports that RHV is a faith-based 300-bed multispecialty hospital established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

NAN also reports that journalists watched the procedure live on television at RHV.