Nigeria Performs First Tele-Robotic Surgery as Surgeon in Ogun State Operates on Abuja Patient 500km Away

A Nigerian surgeon has performed the country's first tele-robotic surgery, removing a cancerous kidney from a patient in Abuja while operating a robotic console from Ogun State, more than 500 kilometres away.

The procedure was carried out on September 19 at Redeemer's Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State, in partnership with Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja and RoboMed Global. It is being described as the first tele-robotic surgery ever recorded in West Africa.

The operation, a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, was led by Professor Obi Davies-Ekwenna, a transplant and urologic surgeon who holds a tenured professorship and serves as Vice-Chair in the Department of Urology at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences in the United States. He is also a co-founder of RoboMed Global.

Davies-Ekwenna controlled the surgical robot stationed at Nisa Premier Hospital from a console at Redeemer's Health Village, with the two facilities linked entirely through an internet connection. The three-hour procedure relied on Starlink satellite connectivity, with MTN's network kept on standby as backup in case the primary link failed.

Chief Executive Officer of Redeemer's Health Village, Dr Adedamola Dada, said the achievement addresses a long-standing gap in Nigerian healthcare, where specialist manpower for complex cases is often unavailable locally. He said a surgeon could now remain based abroad and still operate on a patient in Nigeria in real time, something he described as previously impossible at this level.

Hours before the kidney surgery, the same hospital also completed a robotic-assisted pyeloplasty on a 28-year-old patient, clearing a blocked pelvis to restore normal urine flow. Dada said the medical team saw the blockage resolve almost immediately once the procedure was completed.

Davies-Ekwenna said the surgery demonstrates that distance should no longer limit a patient's access to specialist care, and suggested the technology could allow Nigerian doctors abroad to treat patients at home without travelling. He noted that connectivity remains a key risk factor, with network or weather disruptions capable of interrupting a live robotic link.

Board chairman of Redeemer's Health Village, Dr Kunle Onakoya, clarified that the robot did not operate independently, stating that an experienced surgeon controlled every movement throughout the procedure.

The patient is reported to be recovering well.

The surgery builds on an earlier milestone at the facility, where Davies-Ekwenna led its first robotic-assisted procedure, a radical prostatectomy performed to treat prostate cancer.

Redeemer's Health Village currently runs robotic-assisted procedures across specialties including urology, general surgery, gynaecology, colorectal surgery, thoracic surgery and hepatobiliary surgery. The facility says robotic surgery generally offers greater precision, less tissue damage and shorter recovery times compared to conventional methods.

The hospital was established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God as a multi-specialist medical facility in Redemption City, Ogun State, and its robotic surgery programme is being cited as an example of churches expanding into healthcare, education and technology beyond religious activity.