Things to know about surgeon who led Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery

Professor Obi Davies-Ekwenna, a urology and transplant surgery expert, led Nigeria's first tele-robotic surgery. The landmark procedure involved remotely operating on a patient in Abuja from Redeemer's Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State. The surgery, a right radical nephrectomy to remove a cancerous kidney, was performed using a Toumai robotic surgical console at the hospital, connected to the Abuja hospital via an internet link.

Davies-Ekwenna, a professor at the University of Toledo in Ohio, has been instrumental in developing robotic surgical programs in Nigeria and West Africa. He stated that the procedure demonstrated how tele-robotic technology could overcome geographical barriers to specialist healthcare, providing access to experts from within and outside the country.

Following the successful operation, Davies-Ekwenna plans to establish a robotic academy to train at least 150 surgeons within two years, aiming to expand access to advanced surgical care nationwide.