Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery, with surgeons successfully performing a complex kidney operation on a patient in Abuja from a remote location.
The procedure was conducted on Saturday through a collaboration between Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the operation was a telesurgery-assisted, robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy to remove a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.
The surgery was performed in real time from a Toumai robotic console at RHV on a patient at Nisa Premier Hospital.
Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, Professor of Urology and Transplantation and co-founder of RoboMed Global, who led the procedure, said the successful operation demonstrated that telesurgery could safely connect patients with specialist surgeons regardless of their location.
“Distance should never decide who receives safe surgery; this is what safe and trusted surgery looks like,” he said.
Ekwenna-Davis, a U.S.-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 pauses to ensure the equipment and systems functioned properly.
He described the development as a major milestone for the participating institutions, noting that it was the first time two hospitals in different parts of Nigeria had successfully collaborated to deliver surgical care remotely.
RHV Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adedamola Dada, said the procedure marked the first telesurgery in West Africa, describing it as proof that Nigerians could access advanced healthcare without travelling abroad.
He said the initiative was aimed at reducing medical tourism and improving access to complex surgical procedures through robotic technology.
Dada disclosed that RHV was establishing a robotic academy with RoboMed Global to train surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and other healthcare professionals.
He said the academy planned to train at least 150 surgeons within two years, while urging the government to sponsor Nigerian medical professionals to acquire robotic surgery skills.
Dada also said reliable connectivity measures had been put in place to minimise disruptions during remote procedures.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Nisa Premier Hospital, Dr Ibrahim Wada, said the hospital 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.
