Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery after a surgeon in Ogun State remotely operated on a patient in Abuja.
The procedure was carried out on Saturday, September 19, through a collaboration involving Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV) in Ogun State, RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja. Professor Obi Ekwenna-Davis, a professor of urology and transplantation and co-founder of RoboMed Global, controlled a Toumai robotic surgical system from RHV while the patient remained at Nisa Premier Hospital.
How Tele-Robotic Surgery Worked
The operation was a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, a procedure involving the removal of an affected kidney. In this case, the kidney contained a cancerous tumour. Unlike conventional robotic surgery, the surgeon was not physically present in the operating theatre in Abuja.
Instead, his movements at the robotic console in Ogun State were transmitted in real time to the surgical robot at the Abuja hospital, allowing the instruments to respond to his commands while medical professionals remained with the patient. Reports said the operation lasted about three hours.
The procedure relied on Starlink connectivity. MTN also provided backup connectivity to support communication between the surgeon and the robotic system. Reliable internet connectivity was crucial because interruptions could affect the transmission of the surgeon’s movements during the operation.
What the Breakthrough Means for Nigeria
Dr Adedamola Dada, Chief Executive Officer of Redeemer’s Health Village, described the procedure as the first telesurgery in West Africa. The initiative could demonstrate how remote surgical technology can improve access to specialised medical expertise. It could also reduce the need for some patients to travel long distances or seek treatment abroad.
However, experts have noted that wider adoption would require reliable connectivity, advanced equipment and properly trained medical personnel. The procedure also shows that robotic surgery does not mean a machine performs the operation independently. The robot remains under the control of a human surgeon.
The successful tele-robotic surgery could help expand access to specialised medical expertise in Nigeria.