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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ts 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 record

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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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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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tablish 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 ac

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