Imo State University has established a robotic surgery academy in partnership with the Imo Robotic Centre, in what its promoters describe as Africa’s first dedicated academy for the specialised field, with plans to train 500 surgeons and other surgical professionals within two years.
The initiative is aimed at building local expertise in robotic-assisted surgery, expanding access to advanced surgical procedures and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign medical facilities for specialised treatment.
Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, a consultant urologist, laparoscopic and robotic surgeon recently appointed Professor of Robotic Surgery at the university, said the academy would train more than 250 Nigerian surgeons as part of its two-year target, with other participants expected from across Africa.
He said the partnership followed a meeting between the university and the Imo Robotic Centre on August 18, 2026, while a university publication dated August 19 documented the establishment of the academy.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
According to him, a memorandum of understanding was subsequently signed, and a departmental building allocated within the university for the academy’s activities.
Ekwueme said the programme would go beyond training individual surgeons to developing complete surgical teams capable of delivering safe and effective robotic procedures in their respective hospitals.
“We are not only training surgeons, but we are also training the whole surgical team. And this is very important because we want to train a team to be able to deliver safe and effective robotic surgery at their own local centre,” he said.
He disclosed that the academy had attracted international faculty members who would support the training, while Imo State University would certify the programme.
He added that the institution would also assist participating hospitals with the procurement and installation of robotic equipment to enable them to establish their own services.
The academy is linked to the operations of the Imo Robotic Centre, developed in partnership with the Imo State Government under Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Ekwueme said the centre performed its first surgery in August and had subsequently carried out multiple robotic procedures, with patients already benefiting from the technology.
He described the facility as an important development for the South-East, where access to advanced surgical technology had been limited, adding that patients could now receive specialised procedures without travelling to other parts of the country or overseas.
“We have bridged the gap. Nobody needs to travel beyond leaving your house and driving a few minutes down the road to have your surgery,” he said.
The surgeon also disclosed that plans were underway to establish an oncology centre adjacent to the robotic facility to provide advanced diagnostic and cancer treatment services.
He said a medical institute was also being developed through the partnership between the state government and the Imo Robotic Centre.
On the application of robotic surgery, Ekwueme said the technology could be used across several specialties, including urology, gynaecology, general surgery and selected cardiac procedures.
He listed prostate and kidney operations, fibroid removal, hysterectomy, ovarian procedures, bowel cancer surgery and some gallbladder operations among procedures that could be performed with robotic assistance.
According to him, robotic systems provide surgeons with magnified three-dimensional views of the operating area and instruments that allow precise movements, particularly when operating in confined spaces or around delicate tissues.
He said these capabilities could help reduce surgical trauma, blood loss and recovery time in appropriately selected patients.
Ekwueme, however, stressed that the acquisition of robotic equipment alone would not guarantee successful outcomes, noting that surgeons and other members of the surgical team must be adequately trained to use the technology.
“The surgeon has to also be proficient in the use of the robotic machine. And that is where this training that we are creating becomes important,” he said.
He also disclosed that his team had performed what he described as the first gynaecological robotic surgery in West Africa through its programme at the prostate clinic, with the patient discharged on the same day.
Ekwueme said expanding access to robotic surgery could help reduce medical tourism by allowing Nigerians to receive specialised treatment within the country.
He explained that seeking medical care abroad often imposed additional financial and emotional burdens on patients and their families, including travel, accommodation and the difficulties of receiving treatment in unfamiliar environments.
He called on the Federal Government and public institutions to support the adoption of robotic surgery through partnerships and policies that would make equipment acquisition and maintenance more affordable.
According to him, the tax burden associated with importing advanced medical equipment should be reviewed to encourage more hospitals to invest in the technology and ultimately reduce treatment costs for patients.
“We know how to acquire affordable robotic systems. I will advise any public institution to come to train with us. We will help them to acquire robots, without a doubt,” he said.
He invited chief medical directors of public hospitals to engage with his team on possible arrangements for acquiring robotic systems and training personnel to operate them.
Ekwueme said his experience in the field included developing robotic surgery services in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, consulting for robotic technology companies in Europe and training other surgeons.
He said his team had performed more than 145 robotic procedures through the programme he developed, describing the figure as the highest recorded by a comparable programme in Africa.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He is also the clinical lead for urology in North Wales at Glan Clwyd Hospital in the United Kingdom and a member of the Faculty of Surgical Training of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
The surgeon described his appointment as Professor of Robotic Surgery at Imo State University as recognition of his contributions to the development of the specialty and efforts to establish a sustainable robotic surgery programme in Nigeria.
“I believe that the recognition by the university is just icing on the cake,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ekwueme said his ambition was to make robotic surgery accessible to Nigerians across the country within the next decade while creating opportunities for highly trained medical professionals abroad to return home.
“In ten years, I see every Nigerian having access to robotic surgery anywhere in Nigeria. I see a Nigeria where brain drain would be significantly less,” he said.
“I dare to predict there is going to be a reversal of brain drain. A reversal back to Nigeria.”
He expressed optimism that the partnership between Imo State University, the Imo Robotic Centre and the state government would provide a foundation for expanding advanced surgical services, developing local expertise and improving access to specialised healthcare in Nigeria and other African countries.