₦airaland Forum

Professor Obi Davies-Ekwenna, the Managing Director of Robo Medics and founder and Chief Executive Officer of RoboMed Global Inc., is a professor of urology and transplant surgery who has been involved in pioneering robotic surgical programmes in Nigeria and West Africa.

Davies-Ekwenna led the team that performed Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery, remotely operating on a patient in Abuja from Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State.

The landmark procedure, announced on Saturday, involved a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy to remove a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.

Davies-Ekwenna performed the operation from a Toumai robotic surgical console at RHV, while the patient remained at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja.

The surgical robot at the Abuja hospital was connected to the robotic control system at RHV through an internet connection, allowing the surgeon to operate on the patient remotely.

The procedure was carried out in real time, with Davies-Ekwenna’s movements transmitted to the robotic system at the Abuja hospital.

Following the surgery, Davies-Ekwenna said the development demonstrated how tele-robotic technology could help overcome geographical barriers to specialist healthcare.

“We were able to operate on a patient in Abuja, 500 kilometres away. We were able to operate on a patient with a kidney tumour, a cancer tumour. And so that was successful,” he said.

He added that the technology could expand access to specialist expertise beyond the location of the surgeon.

“It means access to experts from within and outside the country. Telesurgery can be done from any part of the world with precision, with excellent results,” the robotic surgeon said.

In a video shared by Redeemer’s Health Village on its Instagram page on Sunday, Davies-Ekwenna was seen thanking members of the medical teams in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun State after the procedure was completed.

He was also cheered by members of the team at the hospital following the successful operation.

The video was captioned, “POV: You just completed The First Tele-Robotic Surgery in West Africa.”

Things to know about Obi Davies-Ekwenna

He is a professor and robotic surgeon

Davies-Ekwenna is a Professor of Urology and Transplant Surgery and a robotic surgeon. He is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of RoboMed Global Inc. and the Managing Director of Robo Medics.

He is a professor at the University of Toledo

He is a Professor and Vice-Chair in the Department of Urology at the University of Toledo in Ohio, United States, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Urology Residency Programme.

Before becoming a professor, Davies-Ekwenna worked as an Assistant Professor of Urology and Transplantation and later as an Associate Professor.

He has been involved in robotic surgery programmes

Davies-Ekwenna has been involved in the development of robotic surgical programmes in Nigeria and West Africa, including the tele-robotic procedure that connected the medical team in Ogun State with a patient in Abuja.

He trained in urology and transplantation

His professional training includes an abdominal transplantation fellowship at the University of Miami, where he also completed his urology residency.

He obtained his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine after earning a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

He holds professional certifications

Davies-Ekwenna is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Diplomate of the American Board of Urology.

The surgery

The procedure was a collaboration between Redeemer’s Health Village, RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja.

Tele-robotic surgery, also known as remote surgery, allows a surgeon to operate on a patient from another location using robotic equipment and telecommunications technology.

In the Nigerian procedure, the patient was in Abuja while Davies-Ekwenna controlled the surgical robot from the RHV facility in Ogun State. Medical teams were present at both locations to support the procedure.

The operation marked a new stage in the country’s use of robotic surgery, following the development of RHV’s robotic surgery programme.

Davies-Ekwenna said the achievement was not only about completing one operation but also about developing the capacity to provide advanced surgical care to patients regardless of where they live.

He said the initiative could allow specialists in Nigeria and abroad to provide expertise to patients without requiring them to travel long distances or outside the country.

What next?

Following the successful operation, Davies-Ekwenna said continuous training would be important to sustain the technology.

He disclosed plans for a robotic academy that would train surgeons and other medical professionals, with a target of training at least 150 surgeons within two years.

The procedure brought together medical teams in Ogun and Abuja, with the robotic system enabling Davies-Ekwenna to perform the surgery remotely.

The successful operation could mark a significant development in the use of tele-robotic technology to expand access to specialist surgical care in Nigeria

https://punchng.com/things-to-know-about-surgeon-who-led-nigerias-first-tele-robotic-surgery/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAUgUHlwZG9mBWZkaWQWUO-uesWpjOlbgrvsfnLPJSDPxEKfwGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4XFazSDEc7KZvIBaA2sede1QphuhcML2yGOW1L0Cl0FTNwexPCn9iQpEzbvg_aem_da8YlAFC0wpXKAIo1_s7vg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqe2IPdp0-w?si=XJ6fhyEe0aB6QOSD

Davies-Ekwenna led the team that performed Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery, remotely operating on a patient in Abuja from Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State.

When it involves saving of humanity and personal interests,people tend to look for competent hands to save them, but when it comes protecting our National/collective interests, myopic people will start applying tribalism that has kept them in bondage for ages..

Congratulations!

This is great.
The church is marching on with his people.

Our Redeemer lives...

Let somebody shout halleluyah

NIGERIA. A country filled with brilliant people and yet choses the worst among them to lead them. The prefer drug lords, terrorists, bandits, murders, scammers, thieves and tribalists to rule them.

Well me I no kukuma get issues , but I am not going to allow robot treat me

Nice one from Davies.

This is Obi Davies o,not Peter Obi before sophisticated tajudeens start to foam without control

Congratulations Obi, you are a shining example to the younger generation

Igbo amaka ❤️

Igbos are a blessed race.

RCCG gave him the platform

obiekunie01:
NIGERIA. A country filled with brilliant people and yet choses the worst among them to lead them. The prefer drug lords, terrorists, bandits, murders, scammers, thieves and tribalists to rule them.

Maybe in reality the country is not "filled with brilliant people" but has its own fair share of brilliant people who are nowhere close to being the majority

2

Ezeama400:
Davies-Ekwenna led the team that performed Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery, remotely operating on a patient in Abuja from Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State.

When it involves saving of humanity and personal interests,people tend to look for competent hands to save them, but when it comes protecting our National/collective interests, myopic people will start applying tribalism that has kept them in bondage for ages..

Congratulations!

go straight to Ur point ....I won't beat you

Excellent job by the professor & all involved, and kudos to RCCG.

Remember it is the same church u cast a stone on, did it FIRST.

well to tell you, THE CHRUCH IS NOT THE PROBLEM HERE IN NIGERIA, IT IS YOUR GOVT.

and dont come here and say it is your tithe. you that your tithe no reach 10k for 10years.

Ayways the church is moving forward.

Humans just be hyping nonsense!

What’s amazing about telerobotic surgery?

That I am using a remote control to change channels on my TV instead of using the TV buttons now calls for celebration.

I don’t even know why the medical association has not banned the tech. We talking about human life and you introducing telerobotic tech, when it is still guaranteed that a standby surgeon will still be there in case shiit gets real.

Who will use his OWN money to sign up for that?

From a Yoruba mother
Nng

Ezeama400:
https://punchng.com/things-to-know-about-surgeon-who-led-nigerias-first-tele-robotic-surgery/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAUgUHlwZG9mBWZkaWQWUO-uesWpjOlbgrvsfnLPJSDPxEKfwGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4XFazSDEc7KZvIBaA2sede1QphuhcML2yGOW1L0Cl0FTNwexPCn9iQpEzbvg_aem_da8YlAFC0wpXKAIo1_s7vg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqe2IPdp0-w?si=XJ6fhyEe0aB6QOSD

I just wan know which internet provider them use, definitely not starlink

Minster of health when OK comes on board.

Ezeama400:
Davies-Ekwenna led the team that performed Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery, remotely operating on a patient in Abuja from Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State.

When it involves saving of humanity and personal interests,people tend to look for competent hands to save them, but when it comes protecting our National/collective interests, myopic people will start applying tribalism that has kept them in bondage for ages..

Congratulations!

Political representation is contestable and it's different from this and the only link between the two is that you can't bring a farmer to come and lead a robotic surgery and so you can't bring A third class candidate to come and rule Nigeria when you have a first class candidate.🙄

Ezeama400:
Davies-Ekwenna led the team that performed Nigeria’s first tele-robotic surgery, remotely operating on a patient in Abuja from Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State.

When it involves saving of humanity and personal interests,people tend to look for competent hands to save them, but when it comes protecting our National/collective interests, myopic people will start applying tribalism that has kept them in bondage for ages..

Congratulations!

You are exact personality you described above, having seen your tribe man, as the one,who performed the operation, your emotion to think upright changes immediately, believing you have been shortchanged in political arena. The political leaders you people are dying to enthrone today, had being tested in the past and are not different from people you are being labelled as bad, extravagant and corrupt.

One of the few B I a folks that we will grant Permanent Residency in Lagos.

The rest na Temporary Visitors Visa

Great man, wonderful team!

banom:
Igbo amaka ❤️

Igbos are a blessed race.

Yes o, The Hospital that gave him this opportunity and thus become the first Hospital in Nigeria where such a feat was performed is on the Yoruba soil. Only if these two tribes can cooperate.

When did Princessfcfans, your wife permit you to use phone or leave the house ?

Is it because today is not Monday ?

Iceberg3:
Nice one from Davies.

This is Obi Davies o,not Peter Obi before sophisticated tajudeens start to foam without control

Nothing there it's like var or computer game

HacheNoire:
Humans just be hyping nonsense!

What’s amazing about telerobotic surgery?

That I am using a remote control to change channels on my TV instead of using the TV buttons now calls for celebration.

I don’t even know why the medical association has not banned the tech. We talking about human life and you introducing telerobotic tech, when it is still guaranteed that a standby surgeon will still be there in case shiit gets real.

Who will use his OWN money to sign up for that?

When I saw your username I perfectly understood why you are bitter about it.
The reason why it made news is because it is the FIRST. And not because it is amazing.

Bad-belle kii u dia...

If u no get beta tin to tok...just waka pass and sharrap...
You don't have to spew trash all the time.

Tis worth celebrating wether you like it or not.

HacheNoire:
Humans just be hyping nonsense!

What’s amazing about telerobotic surgery?

That I am using a remote control to change channels on my TV instead of using the TV buttons now calls for celebration.

I don’t even know why the medical association has not banned the tech. We talking about human life and you introducing telerobotic tech, when it is still guaranteed that a standby surgeon will still be there in case shiit gets real.

Who will use his OWN money to sign up for that?

Another lgbo man blazing a trail with another first. Ndi Chineke goziri agozi.

Yoruba Amaka, we are proud of you

Nefort:
When I saw your username I perfectly understood why you are bitter about it.
The reason why it made news is because it is the FIRST. And not because it is amazing.

My point is, is it necessary or worth it?

It’s a celebration of nonsense!

Thanks God he is not a developer or origin harvester.