The landmark procedure was performed on Saturday, September 19, 2026 by Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), Mowe, Ogun State in collaboration with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja.
A robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy — removal of a cancerous kidney tumour — was carried out with the patient at Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, while the lead surgeon Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, Professor of Urology and Transplantation and co-founder of RoboMed Global, operated from a Toumai robotic console at RHV in Ogun State, 500km away.
How it worked:
- Surgeon’s hand movements at the console were transmitted in real time to robotic arms in Abuja theatre
- Operation lasted about 3 hours with brief pauses for system checks
- Starlink satellite internet provided primary connectivity, MTN was backup
- Local bedside team remained with patient in Abuja
- Patient reported in good condition, discharged within 24 hours
RHV CEO Dr. Adedamola Dada said: “It’s a huge breakthrough, and then of course, it is the first time telesurgery is done in West Africa.” He added: “What this simply means is that for very complicated cases where we don’t even have the manpower in the country, surgeons can stay in the United States and operate on that patient here.”
Board Chairman Dr. Kunle Onakoya clarified the robot did not operate alone: “The robot is still being controlled by a human being, by a very experienced and senior surgeon. It is just that the skills of that surgeon are now being magnified many times over.”
RHV, a 300-bed multispecialty hospital founded by RCCG, also performed a robot-assisted pyeloplasty on a 28-year-old patient same day. Nisa Premier says it has operated as a robotic surgery centre since November 2025.
Partners plan a robotic training academy to train 150 local surgeons in 2 years, expanding access to specialist care without need to travel abroad.
