Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery after a specialist surgeon in Ogun State remotely performed a complex operation on a patient in Abuja, demonstrating how robotic technology and satellite connectivity could extend access to specialised surgical expertise.
The procedure, a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy to remove a cancerous kidney tumour, was carried out through a collaboration between Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV) and RoboMed Global. The patient was treated at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja, while Professor Ekwenna Davis controlled the robotic system from a Toumai surgical console at RHV in Mowe, Ogun State.
The Brandspur Brand News reports that the operation lasted approximately three hours and depended on Starlink connectivity, with MTN serving as a backup connection to maintain communication between the surgeon and the robotic equipment. The two locations are about 500 kilometres apart.
The procedure places telecommunications infrastructure at the centre of a highly specialised medical intervention. Rather than requiring the surgeon to be physically present in the operating theatre, the system enabled Davis to manipulate the surgical robot remotely and perform the procedure in real time.
Davis, a co-founder of RoboMed Global and Professor of Urology and Transplantation, described the operation as an initial test of how technology could reshape access to specialist healthcare in Nigeria. He said the model could eventually allow patients to receive complex surgical expertise without travelling abroad, while also creating opportunities for Nigerian specialists living overseas to participate remotely in the country’s healthcare system.
The development, however, also highlights the importance of dependable connectivity in telemedicine. Davis identified network interruptions and weather conditions as potential challenges, underscoring the need for reliable communications infrastructure and appropriate safeguards before the technology can be deployed more widely.
RHV board chairman, Dr Kunle Onakoya, stressed that the robotic system does not perform surgery autonomously. The equipment remains under the control of a highly experienced surgeon, with the technology effectively extending the surgeon’s ability to carry out precise procedures from a remote location.
For patients requiring specialised interventions, the milestone points to a possible shift in how expertise can be delivered across Nigeria’s geographic divide. The successful operation provides an early demonstration of a model in which surgical skill, robotics and high-speed connectivity work together to bring specialist care closer to patients.
