Under One Roof: Inside Owerri's New Robotic Surgery & Oncology Center

In a landmark event in Owerri, Nigeria, Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme and his team from The Prostate Clinic (TPC) have completed the first robotic-assisted surgery ever performed on a da Vinci model Xi in Nigeria and across West and Sub-Saharan Africa. The procedure, a nerve-sparing operation on a young male patient diagnosed with prostate cancer, was carried out at the newly commissioned Imo State Robotic and Oncology Center in Owerri.

The milestone makes Imo the second state in Nigeria, after Lagos, to stand up a robotic surgery program of this kind, and the first anywhere in southeast Nigeria. For the region, it marks the arrival of specialized care that patients previously had to leave the country to access.

A Milestone in the Making

When The Prostate Clinic marked its first anniversary earlier this year with 100 robotic-assisted prostatectomies in Lagos, plans were already underway for a dedicated robotic center in Imo State. Now open, the fully operational Imo State facility is already making a dramatic impact for its patients.

Prof. Ekwueme framed the launch as part of a longer arc that began in Lagos, where he introduced robotic surgery to West and Central Africa in 2025. An invitation from Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma brought the work east, and construction of the Owerri center followed. For a surgeon who trained at the University of Ibadan before building his career in the United Kingdom, the return carried real weight. He described it as an emotional day, adding that being able to “come back and do it for your people” was something he did not take for granted.

The Center's First Procedure

The first patient was a young man who traveled to Imo specifically for a prostatectomy operation. Prof. Ekwueme reported an outcome that illustrates the impact robotic-assisted surgery can have: the operation drew no blood loss and required no transfusion, and the nerve function tied to continence and sexual health was left intact. Scarring was minimal, and the patient was on track to go home within about a day.

It is a case that illustrates why robotic prostatectomy has become the standard of care in much of the world. For a younger patient, nerve preservation is not a technical footnote; it is the difference between a cancer treatment and a cancer treatment that also protects quality of life, continence, and the ability to return home to family responsibilities.

The Technology Behind the Result

The center is built around the da Vinci robotic surgical system, the platform Prof. Ekwueme described as the global gold standard, with more than 20 million procedures performed worldwide to date. Rather than operating independently, the robotic arms are controlled entirely by the surgeon from a console, translating hand movements into precise actions inside the body.

More Than a Single Surgery

What sets the Owerri facility apart is that the robotic program does not stand alone. The design brings surgery, oncology, and radiotherapy together under one roof, backed by on-site diagnostics that include MRI, CT, mammography, and X-ray.

Prof. Ekwueme has emphasized that the oncology arm will serve patients of every age across a range of cancers, letting a single site carry someone from first scan through surgery and into follow-up, a continuity of care that is uncommon even in more established health systems.

Building Local Capacity

The founding team drew specialists from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Belgium, and selected personnel from Imo are being trained to operate and maintain the technology, with some slated for further study abroad so that the expertise takes root locally.

That commitment is set to deepen. Prof. Ekwueme also announced plans to partner with Imo State University (IMSU) to establish what would be the first Robotic Surgery Academy in Africa, pairing an academic curriculum with hands-on technical training. The university, recently approved as a Simulation Center for West Africa, sees the academy as a way to draw students and visitors from across the region, positioning Owerri not only as a destination for care but as a training ground for the next generation of robotic surgeons.

Partnering with R2 Surgical

R2 Surgical is proud to partner with Prof. Ekwueme and The Prostate Clinic as they expand surgical access across Nigeria and West Africa. 

To learn more about R2 Surgical's ability to assist in the building, service, and support of a surgical robotics program, contact us today.

Sources

Crustlike Reporters
https://www.crustlikereporters.com/2026/08/robotic-and-laparoscopic-surgeon-reveals-plan-to-partner-imsu-to-establish-worldclass-robotic-surgery-academy-by-onyekachi-augustus-nwaozor-ph.d%20.html

Health.Life.Science.Plus
https://healthlifescienceplus.wordpress.com/2026/08/21/robotic-surgery-debuts-in-owerri-offers-new-hope-for-cancer-patients/

Imo News
https://www.imonews.ng/2026/08/breaking-news-robotic-surgery-oncology.html

Vanguard
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/08/cheers-excitement-as-imo-performs-first-robotic-surgery/

The Punch
https://punchng.com/imo-specialist-hospital-performs-first-robotic-surgery

The Sun
https://thesun.ng/excitement-as-imo-performs-first-robotic-surgery/