Redeemer’s Health Village in Ogun State has successfully completed its first robotic assisted surgery, marking a significant milestone for robotic surgery in Nigeria and the country’s growing advanced healthcare sector. The procedure, a robotic assisted radical prostatectomy to treat localised prostate cancer, was performed on a middle aged man by urology specialists, the hospital’s medical team and robotic surgeons from US based RoboMed Global Inc. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, RHV Chief Executive Officer Dr Adedamola Dada said the achievement forms part of the hospital’s ambition to establish itself as a leading destination for advanced healthcare delivery in Nigeria. RHV also confirmed the milestone in a statement, describing the procedure as its first robotic assisted radical prostatectomy and a step towards bringing sophisticated surgical care closer to Nigerian patients.
The first robotic surgery follows the launch of Redeemer’s Health Village’s robotic surgery programme in August, developed in partnership with RoboMed Global to expand access to minimally invasive surgical procedures and build local medical expertise. BusinessDay reported that RHV has invested about $4 million in robotic surgical services and training, with the programme designed to develop Nigerian healthcare professionals capable of supporting and eventually performing advanced robotic procedures. The hospital’s programme covers areas including urology, general surgery and gynaecology, while RHV has said additional procedures will follow the first prostate cancer operation. Surgeons involved in the procedure told Punch that robotic surgery can provide enhanced visualisation and greater precision, while smaller incisions can potentially reduce blood loss, postoperative discomfort and hospital recovery time.
The development strengthens Nigeria’s push to expand advanced medical care and reduce medical tourism, particularly for complex procedures that have historically required patients to seek treatment overseas. The Federal Ministry of Health welcomed RHV’s robotic surgery programme in August, with Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr Iziaq Salako describing the technology as an opportunity to improve specialist healthcare delivery and retain more healthcare spending within Nigeria. For Redeemer’s Health Village, the first successful robotic operation moves the programme from investment and training into clinical delivery, while the planned expansion of procedures and development of local specialists could help build a stronger domestic ecosystem for robotic surgery. As Nigeria’s private healthcare sector invests further in medical technology, the ability to combine sophisticated equipment with skilled local professionals, reliable infrastructure and affordable access will be critical to determining how far robotic surgery can expand across the country.
