By Vivian Ihechu

Imo State University (IMSU) has established a robotic surgery academy in partnership with the Imo Robotic Centre, targeting to train 500 surgeons and other surgical professionals within two years.

Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme, Consultant Urologist, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)on Sunday.

Ekwueme, recently appointed professor of Robotic Surgery at the IMSU, described the initiative as Africa’s first dedicated robotic surgery academy, with department located within the institution’s premises.

He said the partnership was established in August 2026, following a meeting between the university and its partners.

“We have successfully performed the first surgery in the region in August.

“We followed up with multiple robotic surgeries at the Imo Robotic Centre, where many patients are already benefiting from this state-of-the-art technology, now available for the first time in southeast Nigeria.

“We have also partnered with Imo State University, following a successful meeting on the Aug. 18 and launched the robotic surgery academy at the university.

“It is important for me and for the academic proficiency at Imo State University, that any erroneous claim of the first robotic surgery academy is debunked and the records are straight,’’ he said.

According to Ekwueme, currently in Imo, the Imo Robotic Centre is delivering state-of-the-art surgery in the state.

“We have performed several surgeries successfully and patients are benefiting.

“Imo State University has partnered with the Imo Robotic Centre for the first robotic academy. It is important that I refer everyone to the university publication of Aug. 19,  confirming the set-up of that robotic academy.

“A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  was also subsequently signed and a departmental building has been assigned for the establishment of the robotic academy,” he explained.

The surgeon emphasised that building human expertise to treat patients domestically, was key to stopping health-related capital flight.

“We are not only training surgeons, but we are also training the whole surgical team.

“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,” Ekwueme said.

He added that the academy would support participating hospitals with equipment procurement and installation to decentralise access nationwide.

Ekwueme, Clinical Lead for Urology in North Wales at Glan Clwyd Hospital, UK, commended Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s administration for supporting the initiative.

He stressed that local access ensured Nigerians no longer needed to travel abroad or out of the region for complex procedures.

“We have bridged the gap. So, nobody needs to travel beyond leaving your house and driving a few minutes down the road to have your surgery,” he said.

“Plans are also progressing to complete an adjacent oncology centre and medical institute for specialised cancer diagnostic services.

“We are also in the process of finalising the oncology centre that is adjacent to the robotic centre that will have state-of-the-art diagnostic and oncology services.

“A medical institute is being created between the Imo State Government and the Imo Robotic Centre. We are also in the process of finalising the medical institute that will have state-of-the-art diagnostic and oncology services.

“I thank the vice chancellor of the Imo State university for the honour of the appointment as professor of Robotic Surgery,” he said.

Ekwueme, a Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh faculty member, noted that his team had performed over 145 robotic procedures in Africa.

“I believe that the recognition by the university is just icing on the cake,” he said.

“In 10 years, I see every Nigerian having access to robotic surgery anywhere in Nigeria.

“I see a Nigeria where brain drain would be significantly less.

“I dare to predict there is going to be a reversal of brain drain. A reversal back to Nigeria,” he said.

He stated that procedures like prostate, kidney, fibroid, hysterectomy, bowel and gallbladder surgeries could now be performed locally.

Explaining the clinical applications 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 selected gallbladder operations, among procedures that could be performed with robotic assistance.

According to him, robotic systems provide surgeons with three-dimensional magnified views of the operating field and instruments that enable precise movements in confined spaces.

These capabilities, he said, could help reduce surgical trauma, blood loss and recovery time in appropriately selected patients.

“The advantages of robotic surgery cannot be overstated,” he said.

He contrasted the approach with conventional open surgery, which often required larger incisions and could involve longer hospital stays and recovery periods.

However, Ekwueme emphasised that acquiring robotic equipment alone would not guarantee good outcomes, stressing the importance of proper training and surgical proficiency.

“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 urged the Federal Government to support the initiative through tax waivers on equipment imports, to lower out-of-pocket patient costs.

“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 expressed optimism that training 500 professionals through IMSU certification would reverse medical tourism and revolutionise African healthcare.

“I seriously believe that a medical revolution is happening in Nigeria at the moment.”

“I think that the world must pay attention to that, you know, because we are doing some great things here,” Ekwueme said.

He said the academy’s emphasis on training entire surgical teams was intended to ensure that hospitals could use the technology safely and effectively, rather than depend solely on the availability of equipment.

Ekwueme also said his team had performed what he described as the first gynaecological robotic surgery in West Africa through its programme at the prostate clinic, adding that the patient was discharged on the same day. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu