From left: Prof. Mobolaji Oludara, General Surgery, LASUTH, Hon. Olawale Oshun, National Chairman Afenifere Renewal Group. Dr. Adedamola Dada, CEO, Redeemer’s Health Village and Senator Adeleke Mamora, former Health Minister at the strategic partnership dinner marking the launch of RHV’s Robotic surgery programme in Lagos on Saturday
By Chioma Obinna
To reverse Nigeria’s medical tourism trend, Redeemer’s Health Village, a 300-bed multispecialty hospital established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, in partnership with RoboMed Global Inc., USA, has launched a robotic surgery programme to bring advanced surgical care closer to Nigerians and reduce the need to travel abroad for complex procedures.
The initiative, unveiled in Lagos on Saturday, combines robotic surgical services with a dedicated training academy designed to develop Nigerian professionals capable of performing and supporting advanced procedures.
Speaking at the strategic partnership dinner marking the launch, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the Federal Government would invest about $4 million in robotic surgical services and training.
Salako said the initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to provide advanced surgical care locally, conserve foreign exchange and improve access to specialised treatment.
He said: “In practical terms, it means a farmer from Ondo, a teacher from Ekiti, a trader from Ogun or any part of Nigeria will no longer need a passport to access world-class surgical intervention.
“The best in the world are now converging here.”
The minister also said the programme would include structured training and certification for Nigerian surgeons to enable them to practise robotic surgery safely.
Chief Executive Officer of Redeemer’s Health Village, Dr Adedamola Dada, said the programme was designed not merely to acquire sophisticated equipment but to build a sustainable pool of Nigerian professionals.
He said the RHV Robotic Academy would commence on October 22, with a five-stage training pathway comprising didactic lectures, dry laboratory training, wet laboratory training involving cadaver and animal models, human training, examination and credentialing.
Dada said the robotic surgery programme would initially cover six specialties, urology, general surgery, gynaecological surgery, colorectal surgery, thoracic surgery and hepatobiliary surgery.
“We do not want a situation where we pile up this business and then we run from abroad. We want to create a pipeline of human resources so Nigerians will be able to do the surgery here, monitor the patient’s health, do the follow-up and then create a pipeline so that we can then have these robots all over the country,” he said.
He disclosed that RHV had acquired two robotic systems, with one dedicated to clinical services and the other to training.
Dada said the programme would also make advanced surgical care more affordable, noting that procedures could cost about five per cent of what patients would pay in the United States or Europe.
“What we are doing is to ensure that whether you are a farmer in Ekiti or you are a trader in Ogun State or a civil servant in Lagos, if you need this care, you don’t have to break the bank to access this care,” he said.
He added that RHV was seeking partnerships with Nigerian surgical training institutions, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons to expand robotic surgery capacity across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
The Chairman of the RHV Robotic Surgery Strategic Partnership and former Minister of Health, Senator Dr Adeleke Mamora, said robotic surgery should be viewed as an advanced tool that enhances, rather than replaces, the surgeon.
“Robotic surgery is not about replacing surgeons with machines. The robot does not think. It does not diagnose, it does not decide and it does not exercise judgement,” he said.
Mamora said the technology could improve surgical precision and dexterity while offering potential benefits including reduced blood loss, smaller incisions, less postoperative pain and faster recovery.
He, however, warned that acquiring robotic systems was only the beginning, stressing the need for trained personnel, maintenance support, clinical governance and sustainable financing.
“Buying a robot is the easy part. Building an ecosystem is the real challenge,” Mamora said.
Co-founder of RoboMed Global Inc., Prof Obi Davies-Ekwenna, said the partnership was established to ensure that advanced surgical technology, training and expertise remained in Africa.
“Our goal is simple. We really want world-class surgery in Africa, starting in Nigeria.
“We want technology to stay, we want the training to stay, we want the systems to stay.”
Davies-Ekwenna disclosed that the partners were also exploring remote surgical possibilities, including plans for a robotic surgery procedure linking Lagos and Abuja in the coming weeks.
Representing RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the First National Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Joseph Olaiya Olayemi, said the initiative would help train Nigerian surgeons, promote research and reduce the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for advanced procedures.
He said the introduction of robotic-assisted surgery was “a significant step” towards using technology to improve surgical precision, patient safety and healthcare outcomes.
More importantly, he said, it provided an opportunity to develop local healthcare partnerships, train Nigerian surgeons, promote research and reduce the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for advanced procedures.
“We believe that knowledge, science and technology, when responsibly and compassionately deployed with the fear of God, are powerful instruments for preserving life and alleviating human suffering,” Olayemi said.
He added that RCCG’s vision was for Nigeria to become not merely a consumer of advanced medical technology but a centre of medical excellence, research and innovation.
Also speaking, Prof Philip Abiodun of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, said Nigeria had no shortage of medical talent but needed an enabling environment for professionals to deploy their expertise locally.
He said the success of the initiative should ultimately be measured by lives saved, professionals trained, knowledge transferred and patients able to access advanced care without leaving the country.
The new programme is expected to strengthen RHV’s capacity for minimally invasive surgery while positioning the hospital as a training platform for Nigerian and West African medical professionals.
Vanguard
