Mirian Gom 
IMO, Nigeria – The Imo State Government has signed an agreement to establish an artificial intelligence-powered medical facility with robotic surgery, positioning the state at the forefront of advanced healthcare in Nigeria.
Approving the multi-partner deal, Governor Hope Uzodimma said, “This is a major breakthrough in our medical programme,” Uzodimma says. “We are determined to set up a world-class medical facility using artificial intelligence, robotic surgery, and advanced medical care for our people.”
The agreement brings together the Imo State Government, Heartland Hospital Management Corporation, The Prostate Clinic, and Imo Digital City Limited. Under the arrangement, Heartland Hospital Management Corporation manages hospital operations, while The Prostate Clinic and Imo Digital City Limited provide specialised equipment, digital infrastructure, and technical expertise.
Central to the project is Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, a globally recognised robotic surgeon and pioneer of robotic surgery in West Africa, who is from Imo State.
The governor describes his involvement as a strategic advantage.
“We are lucky that Professor Kingsley Ekwueme is one of our own and among the best in the world,” Uzodimma says. “Charity begins at home, and he has agreed to bring this expertise back.”
Professor Ekwueme calls the agreement historic. “This has never happened in Nigeria,” he says. “For a partnership of this nature to be actualised, and for it to happen in Imo State, is truly amazing.”
He says his decision follows visible reforms in the state’s health sector, citing the Imo State Health Insurance Scheme, which he notes has enrolled more than 1.4 million residents. “That is unprecedented. “It means healthcare is getting closer to home,” he adds
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