Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery after a surgeon in Ogun State remotely performed a complex kidney cancer operation on a patient in Abuja on Saturday, September 19.
The procedure, a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, involved removing a cancerous tumour affecting the patient’s kidney.
It was carried out through a collaboration between Redeemer’s Health Village and RoboMed Global, with the patient at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja, while the surgeon operated a Toumai robotic system from a console at the Redeemer’s Health Village facility in Mowe, Ogun State.
The two locations are about 500 kilometres apart, demonstrating how remote surgical technology can connect specialist expertise with patients in different parts of the country.
Professor Obi Ekwenna-Davis, a professor of urology and transplantation and co-founder of RoboMed Global, led the operation. The surgery lasted approximately three hours, with brief pauses to check the equipment and ensure the system was functioning properly.
Reports on the procedure said satellite connectivity, including Starlink with MTN as a backup, supported the remote operation.
The patient was reported to be in good condition after the surgery and was expected to be discharged within 24 hours.
The milestone marks a significant development in Nigeria’s use of robotic and remote surgical technology, with the potential to improve access to specialised surgical care for patients located far from specialist centres.
