Nigeria has recorded a major milestone in healthcare after a patient in Abuja underwent a kidney cancer operation performed remotely by a surgeon operating from Ogun State.
The procedure, carried out on Saturday, was performed using a Toumai robotic surgery console at the Redeemer’s Health Village in Ogun State, while the patient was at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja.
The operation was conducted through a collaboration between RHV, RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital.
The surgery, described as a telesurgery-assisted, robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, involved the removal of a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.
RHV described it as the first tele-robotic surgery and telesurgery procedure recorded in West Africa.
Tele-robotic surgery enables surgeons to operate on patients who are in different locations through robotic equipment connected to a remote surgical console.
Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, Professor of Urology and Transplantation and the surgeon who led the procedure, said the successful operation demonstrated that telesurgery could be safely used to provide specialist surgical care across different locations.
“Distance should never decide who receives safe surgery; this is what safe and trusted surgery looks like,” he said.
Ekwenna-Davis, who is also a co-founder of RoboMed Global and a United States-based surgeon, said the patient was in good condition after the operation and was expected to be discharged within 24 hours.
He said the procedure lasted about three hours, with brief pauses to verify that the robotic equipment and other supporting systems were functioning properly.
According to him, the collaboration showed that hospitals in different parts of Nigeria could combine their resources to provide specialised surgical services without requiring patients to travel long distances.
Ekwenna-Davis said the next phase of the initiative would focus on developing local expertise through continuous training, with a robotic academy expected to be established to train surgeons and other healthcare professionals.
He added that the academy was expected to train at least 150 surgeons within two years.
The surgeon said the initiative had received the backing of the Minister of Health and other government institutions, while further support was being sought from private organisations and non-governmental organisations.
The Chief Executive Officer of RHV, Dr Adedamola Dada, said the achievement demonstrated that Nigerians could access advanced medical treatment without travelling abroad.
“What has happened today is a demonstration that Nigerians can access modern healthcare without travelling abroad,” he said.
Dada said RHV was established to promote innovation in healthcare and provide world-class medical services at affordable costs.
He explained that the initiative was not primarily driven by profit but by the desire to demonstrate the possibilities of modern healthcare in Nigeria in line with the vision of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
According to him, the adoption of robotic and telesurgery could expand access to complex medical procedures and reduce the number of Nigerians travelling abroad for specialist treatment.
Dada also said the technology could facilitate the transfer of specialist expertise to patients across the country, regardless of their location.
On concerns over the reliability of remote surgery, he said RHV had put measures in place to reduce the effect of connectivity problems by using reliable networks.
He noted, however, that weather conditions could sometimes affect connectivity, while the quality of equipment and availability of adequately trained personnel remained important factors in the success of telesurgery.
Dada said the hospital was also working with RoboMed Global to establish a robotic academy that would train doctors, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and product specialists.
He urged 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.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Nisa Premier Hospital, Dr Ibrahim Wada, said the hospital had operated as a robotic surgery centre 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.
The Chairman of the Board of RHV, Dr Kunle Onakoya, also described the development as historic and urged those involved to recognise their contribution to the achievement.
RHV is a faith-based 300-bed multispecialty hospital established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Journalists at the Ogun State facility watched the procedure live on television as the remote operation was performed.
