Imo University Establishes Africa's First Robotic Surgery Academy

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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 r

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educing 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 m

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eeting 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. 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 co

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mplete 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 me

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mbers 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 Uzodi

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mma. 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 t

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he 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 partn

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ership 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 tha

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