Nigeria achieves first tele-robotic kidney surgery via Starlink‎

‎• Surgeon in Ogun State removes cancerous kidney tumour from patient in Abuja 500 km away

• Starlink powers West Africa’s first successful tele-robotic surgery in real time

‎• Landmark procedure signals new era for specialist care access across Nigeria
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‎Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery. Confiance News confirms this as a major milestone for the country and West Africa.
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‎The historic procedure
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‎The operation was a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy. Doctors removed a cancerous kidney tumour. Redeemer’s Health Village worked with RoboMed Global on the surgery. The patient stayed at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja. Details obtained by Confiance News show the procedure took place on Saturday.
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‎How the surgery worked
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‎Professor Ekwenna Davis led the surgery. He is co-founder of RoboMed Global and a professor of urology. He controlled the robotic system from a Toumai console in Mowe, Ogun State. The patient was about 500 kilometres away in Abuja. The operation lasted about three hours. It used Starlink as the main connection. MTN provided backup to keep the link stable.
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‎What the surgeon said
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‎Davis called the surgery proof that technology can improve access to care. “The procedure we did was a telesurgery procedure where we were able to operate on a patient in Abuja, 500 kilometres away,” he said. Remarks sighted by Confiance News include this statement. “This is just the beginning. It is a test, a pilot, of how innovation and technology can really help patients,” he added.
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‎Davis said the method could help Nigerians get expert surgery without going abroad. It could also let Nigerian doctors abroad assist patients from far away. He noted that poor connections and bad weather could cause problems. He stressed the need for strong systems and safety measures.
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‎Safety and human control
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‎Dr Kunle Onakoya is the board chairman of Redeemer’s Health Village. He explained that the robot does not work alone. “The robot is still being controlled by a human being, by a very experienced and senior surgeon. It is just that the skills of that surgeon are now being magnified many times over by the robot,” he said. Comments obtained by Confiance News confirm this view.
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‎Officials say the surgery shows how Nigerian hospitals can work together across long distances.
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‎Public reactions on X to the tele-robotic breakthrough
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‎The news drew clear responses on X. Users focused on the technology and its meaning.
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‎Maye Musk (@mayemusk) is the mother of SpaceX and Starlink founder Elon Musk. She shared the news with a short comment. She wrote: “Starlink saving lives, the real purpose.”
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‎Idris Garba (@idriisgarba) mixed praise with a note on local systems. He wrote: “Nigeria just celebrated its first tele-robotic surgery… powered by Starlink. We had to borrow satellite internet from Elon just to connect two major cities. The robot worked. The real diagnosis is still the same: our own infrastructure is not ready for the future we keep announcing.”
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‎Hitbear (@hitborg) saw the event as a useful test. He wrote: “Nigeria just did a remote kidney surgery. A surgeon near Lagos used a robot to operate on a patient in Abuja, about 500 km away. Starlink carried the link, with MTN as backup. Officials called it West Africa’s first telesurgery. That is a useful test of the network. A really great news🥳”
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‎Marion (@Marion202501) highlighted the technical side. She wrote: “Incredible! The surgeon sent real-time commands over Starlink to robotic arms at a hospital 500 km away while viewing high-definition video from the operating site. So far, only robotic telesurgery demonstrations and preclinical trials have been conducted in the US.”
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‎George Strait (@Georgestratstg) called it a regional first. He wrote: “A remarkable technology milestone for Africa. If confirmed, Starlink-enabled tele-robotic surgery could open new possibilities for remote access to specialist medical care.”
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‎Looking ahead
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‎The surgery shows how satellite links and robots can bring expert care closer to patients. Confiance News will keep tracking new uses of tele-robotic surgery in Nigeria.
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