Imo State University has established a robotic surgery academy in partnership with the Imo Robotic Centre, with plans to train 500 surgeons and other surgical professionals within two years, Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, Consultant Urologist, laparoscopic and robotic surgeon, has disclosed.
Ekwueme, recently appointed Professor of Robotic Surgery at Imo State University, described the initiative as Africa’s first dedicated robotic surgery academy with department located within the university grounds.
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 18th of August, 2026, 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. Currently in Imo State, the Imo Robotic Centre is delivering state-of-the-art surgery in Imo 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 the 19th of August confirming the set-up of that robotic academy.
“A memorandum of understanding was also subsequently signed, and a departmental building has been assigned for the establishment of the robotic academy,” he explained.
“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.
Ekwueme, a consultant in Urological, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery, said the academy was established following a meeting between the university and its partners on August 18, 2026, with a university publication dated August 19 documenting the development.
He said a memorandum of understanding was subsequently signed and a departmental building assigned to support the academy’s activities.
The professor said the initiative was designed to develop local expertise, train complete surgical teams and make advanced procedures accessible to Nigerians without the need to travel abroad for treatment.
According to him, the academy aims to train 500 robotic surgeons and other surgical team members over the next two years, including more than 250 Nigerian surgeons.
He said the programme would attract participants from across Nigeria and other African countries, with training covering multiple surgical specialties rather than being restricted to urology or prostate-related conditions.
“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,” Ekwueme said.
He added that the academy would assist participating hospitals with robotic equipment procurement and installation, helping to address some of the technical and logistical challenges associated with adopting the technology.
Ekwueme, who is also the clinical lead for urology in North Wales at Glan Clwyd Hospital, United Kingdom, said the Imo Robotic Centre, developed in partnership with the Imo State Government under Governor Hope Uzodimma, had commenced operations and was already providing advanced surgical services to patients in the South-East.
He said the centre successfully performed its first surgery in August and had subsequently carried out multiple robotic procedures.
According to him, the facility represents an important step towards decentralising access to advanced surgical technology, particularly for patients who might otherwise have to travel to other parts of Nigeria or overseas for specialised treatment.
“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.
Ekwueme 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.
The projects, he explained, were intended to strengthen specialised healthcare services, improve access to advanced treatment and create opportunities for Nigerian medical professionals to deliver sophisticated procedures locally.
On the academy’s establishment, Ekwueme said the university’s August 19, 2026, publication provided a documentary record of the initiative, while the subsequent memorandum of understanding and allocation of a departmental building established an institutional framework for its development.
He described the university’s involvement as central to the academy’s training and certification arrangements.
“I thank the Vice-Chancellor of Imo State University for the honour of the appointment as Professor of Robotic Surgery,” he said.
145 robotic surgeries performed
Highlighting his experience in the field, Ekwueme said he had developed a prostate clinic in the United Kingdom and had been involved in pioneering robotic surgery in Nigeria and the wider West and Central African region.
He said his team had performed more than 145 robotic procedures through the programme he developed, describing the figure as the highest number recorded by a comparable programme in Africa.
Ekwueme said his professional experience included developing robotic surgery services, training surgeons and consulting for robotic technology companies in Europe.
He is also a member of the Faculty of Surgical Training of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and has worked as a robotic surgery trainer.
The professor described his appointment by Imo State University as recognition of his professional contributions 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.
He said his appointment was particularly meaningful because it came from his home university.
The surgeon added that his long-term ambition was to ensure that Nigerians could access robotic surgery within the country while creating opportunities for highly trained Nigerian 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.
He added: “I dare to predict there is going to be a reversal of brain drain. A reversal back to Nigeria.”
Beyond prostate surgery
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 requires larger incisions and can 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 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.
Medical tourism reversal
Ekwueme said expanding access to robotic surgery could help reverse medical tourism by enabling patients to receive specialised treatment closer to home.
He argued that overseas treatment often imposed additional costs on patients and their families, including travel, accommodation and the emotional strain of seeking care in unfamiliar environments.
He said the development of the Imo Robotic Centre was particularly significant for the South-East, where access to advanced surgical technology had been limited.
The surgeon also called on the Federal Government and public institutions to support the adoption of robotic surgery through partnerships and policies that could make equipment acquisition and maintenance more affordable.
“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 the technology and developing the expertise required to operate it.
Ekwueme further urged the government to review the tax burden associated with importing advanced medical equipment, arguing that measures to reduce costs could ultimately improve affordability for patients.
He said the objective was to make robotic surgery increasingly available in public and private hospitals rather than concentrate the technology in a few specialised centres.
Academy targets surgical capacity
Ekwueme said the academy’s proposed two-year training programme would help build a new generation of surgeons and surgical professionals capable of providing advanced care in Nigeria and across Africa.
He said international faculty members would support the programme, while Imo State University would certify the training.
The professor stressed that the initiative was not limited to prostate cancer or other male-related conditions but would prepare specialists across surgical disciplines to use robotic systems.
He expressed optimism that expanding access to advanced surgical services would strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and create incentives for medical professionals working abroad to contribute to the country’s development.
“I seriously believe that a medical revolution is happening in Nigeria at the moment,” he said.
“I think that the world must pay attention to that, you know, because we are doing some great things here.”
He said the ultimate goal was to build a healthcare system in which advanced surgical technology, skilled personnel and appropriate infrastructure would be available to patients within the country.
For Ekwueme, the partnership between Imo State University, the Imo Robotic Centre and the state government offers an opportunity to develop a sustainable model for advanced surgical care, professional training and medical technology adoption that could be extended to other parts of Nigeria and Africa.
