Nigeria Makes History With West Africa’s First Remote Robotic Surgery

Nigeria has recorded what has been described as West and Africa’s first telerobotic surgery, with surgeons at the Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV) in Mowe, Ogun State, remotely operating on a patient located about 500 kilometres away in Abuja.

The landmark procedure was performed during the weekend in collaboration with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja.

Telerobotic surgery, also known as remote surgery, enables surgeons to perform operations on patients from a different geographical location using robotic technology and a secure communication network.

The procedure performed was a right radical nephrectomy on a patient with a kidney tumour.

Surgeons at RHV remotely controlled the robotic surgical system located at the Abuja hospital while carrying out the operation.

Speaking after the procedure, the Chief Executive Officer of RHV, Dr Adedamola Dada, described the development as a major breakthrough for Nigeria’s healthcare sector.

According to him, the successful procedure demonstrates the potential of technology to provide patients with access to highly specialised surgical expertise regardless of their location.

“It’s a huge breakthrough, and then of course, it is the first time telesurgery is done in West Africa,” Dada said.

He explained that the robotic system at the Abuja hospital was connected to the control system at RHV through an internet connection, allowing the surgeons to operate remotely.

Dada said the technology could eventually allow highly specialised surgeons outside Nigeria to perform complex procedures on Nigerian patients without having to travel to the country.

He said, “For very complicated cases where we don’t even have the manpower in the country, surgeons can stay in the United States and operate on that patient here.”

The RHV chief executive also disclosed that the facility performed another robotic-assisted procedure on the same day involving a 28-year-old patient.

The procedure, known as pyeloplasty, involved reconstructing part of the urinary system to remove an obstruction and restore the normal flow of urine.

Dada said the procedure was successful, noting that the improvement in urine flow was immediately observed after the obstruction was removed.

However, he stressed that developing local expertise would be crucial to ensuring the long-term success of robotic surgery on Nigeria.

According to him, while access to robotic equipment may be addressed through private-sector investment, there is an urgent need to develop the manpower required to operate and maintain the technology.

He therefore called on the Federal Government to provide scholarships AND other forms of support for Nigerian surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and other healthcare professionals interested in robotic surgery.

Dada said government-backed training programmes could help Nigeria develop a larger pool of specialists within the next few years.

The robotic surgeon who led the procedure, Prof. Obi Davies-Ekwenna, said the successful operation demonstrated how technology could help overcome geographical barriers in accessing specialised healthcare.

Davies-Ekwenna said the medical team was able to successfully operate on a patient with a kidney cancer tumour in Abuja while working remotely from Ogun State.

He said the development could potentially expand access to specialists within Nigeria and abroad, particularly for patients requiring highly complex procedures.

According to him, telesurgery could enable experts from different parts of the world to provide surgical services remotely while maintaining precision and safety.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the RHV Board, Dr Kunle Onokoya, said robotic surgery was expanding the range of procedures that could be performed successfully.

Onokoya noted that some operations previously considered too risky or difficult to perform could now be undertaken with the assistance of robotic technology.

The development comes amid growing efforts to introduce advanced medical technologies into Nigeria’s healthcare system and improve access to specialised treatment.

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