Experts have called for advanced surgical training and stronger government support for private healthcare facilities to expand Nigeria’s capacity to perform specialised procedures locally and reduce dependence on medical tourism.

The call came as Kelina Hospital disclosed that it had performed more than 50 robotic prostate cancer surgeries within a year of introducing the technology, highlighting the potential of advanced surgical techniques to improve access to complex treatments in Nigeria.

Chairman of the hospital’s Board of Directors, Ifeanyi Anago, who announced this at a press conference marking the first anniversary of the hospital’s robotic surgery programme in Lagos, described the milestone as a significant development for Nigeria’s healthcare system.

According to him, the achievement demonstrated that Nigerians could access advanced medical procedures locally.
He urged Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to support the hospital’s vision, expressing optimism that expanding specialised healthcare services would reduce capital flight associated with medical tourism.

The hospital’s President, Dr Celsus Undie, said robotic surgery offered advantages over conventional laparoscopic procedures, including three-dimensional vision, improved precision and instruments designed to minimise hand tremors. Some procedures could also result in less blood loss and faster recovery, he added.

Undie said the hospital marked the anniversary after confirming that it had performed more than 50 robotic radical prostatectomy procedures during the year.

He disclosed that the hospital had conducted more than 7,000 operations, with its cumulative total approaching 8,000.

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), a procedure for treating an enlarged prostate, was its most frequently performed operation, with more than 100 procedures annually and a cumulative total exceeding 800.

Other major procedures included prostate cancer and kidney stone surgeries, as well as operations for gallstones and various general and gynaecological conditions.

Undie said Kelina performed 212 prostate surgeries in 2025 using robotic, laparoscopic and laser techniques. About 50 to 52 robotic prostate cancer operations had been conducted since the robot was installed late last year.

On developing local expertise, he said he was considering establishing a formal surgical training programme after a professor of urology who had trained him proposed the initiative and offered to help organise it.

He explained that the hospital had previously been cautious about formal training because trainees could damage specialised equipment costing between N20 million and N30 million.

However, the hospital had organised training programmes for urologists from across Nigeria and planned another early next year.

Undie said the objective was to equip more specialists nationwide to perform advanced procedures, expand access to specialised care and reduce medical tourism.

He added that the hospital had received government concessions and discounts on imported medical equipment, some of which attracted substantial duties. He urged the government to extend such support to more private healthcare facilities to lower equipment import costs and make advanced treatment more accessible.

One of the hospital’s patients, Mr Joseph Ogar, said he underwent prostate surgery in 2012 after experiencing frequent urination and undergoing investigations at several hospitals.

Ogar said he had initially feared the operation might affect his sexual function after hearing warnings from others, but his doctor reassured him before he consented to the procedure. He said he remained healthy after the surgery and had not needed medication.