The Federal Government has pledged full scholarships for qualified medical professionals seeking specialist training at the newly inaugurated Redeemer’s Health Village–RoboMed Robotic Academy in Ogun State.
The academy also plans to train 400 robotic surgery specialists within two years as part of efforts to build Nigeria’s capacity for advanced surgical procedures and reduce reliance on foreign expertise.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the government’s support during the inauguration of the academy at Redemption City.
FG guarantees TETFund scholarships
Mr Alausa said the academy would be designated as a Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Centre of Excellence, allowing qualified trainees to receive funding through TETFund’s local scholarship scheme.
He said the government would work with the academy and Redeemer’s University to ensure that students participating in the specialist programme were fully funded.
The minister said the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen medical education and develop local expertise in advanced healthcare.
He added that the Federal Government had spent more than N250 billion on medical education in the last two years, while plans were underway to increase annual enrolment in medical programmes to 20,000 within two years.
Academy targets 400 specialists
The Chief Executive Officer of Redeemer’s Health Village, Dr Adedamola Dada, said the academy had been established to develop a sustainable pool of professionals capable of operating and supporting robotic surgery in Nigeria.
Mr Dada said the target was to train 400 specialists over the next two years, including surgeons in urology, general surgery and gynaecology.
The programme will also train operating-room personnel, biomedical engineers, product specialists and administrators, ensuring that the entire robotic surgery ecosystem has the required expertise.
He said RHV and RoboMed had invested about $4 million in two robotic systems, with one dedicated to surgical services and the other to training.
NPMCN to certify surgeons
Mr Dada said the programme would be a postgraduate, post-fellowship diploma programme, with the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, NPMCN, responsible for certification of participating surgeons.
He said the aim was not merely to issue certificates but to provide rigorous training that would meet recognised professional standards.
The Chief Executive Officer of RoboMed Global, Prof Obi Davies-Ekwenna, said the academy would equip healthcare professionals with the skills needed for precise and minimally invasive robotic surgery.
He stressed that robotic surgery requires a coordinated team, with training extending beyond surgeons to nurses, biomedical engineers and other technical personnel.
FG targets local expertise
Mr Alausa said the academy represented an opportunity for Nigerian medical professionals to acquire advanced surgical skills without leaving the country.
He said the initiative would help strengthen the medical workforce, improve specialist healthcare delivery and contribute to efforts to reduce medical tourism.
The academy was established through a partnership involving Redeemer’s Health Village, RoboMed Global, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and Redeemer’s University.
Redeemer’s University will also provide specialised training for nursing teams and biomedical maintenance engineers, while the NPMCN will oversee academic standards and certification.
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