Okpebholo hails first female neurosurgeon from Edo

Dr Ekiomado Eki-Udoko has received commendations from Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the management of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Benin, following her emergence as the first female neurosurgeon in Edo and Delta states and the former Midwest Region.

Eki-Udoko recently became a certified neurosurgeon after successfully completing her specialist training and obtaining certification from the West African College of Surgeons.

The governor received the medical specialist at the Government House in Benin City on Sunday, where he praised her accomplishment and pledged government support for her professional advancement.

Okpebholo described the achievement as evidence of the determination of Edo people to attain excellence and make an impact beyond the state.

He assured Eki-Udoko that his administration would support her career development while also working to improve specialised healthcare services in Edo.

“The area of speciality which you have chosen is a very difficult one, and you must be a very focused person for you to achieve this height; we will support you to go further because we need more brains like you in Edo State to help us,” the governor noted.

The National Orthopaedic Hospital, Benin, also hailed the achievement, with its Medical Director, Dr Philip Ugbodaga, describing it as an important milestone for the institution and specialist medicine in the region.

In a congratulatory letter personally signed by Ugbodaga, the medical director said Eki-Udoko’s accomplishment was a source of pride to the hospital.

“Your feat is unparalleled and unequalled in the rare and specialised field of neurosurgery. We celebrate your remarkable achievement and, more importantly, the fact that you achieved this feat as a staff of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Benin City.

“We will do all that is required to enable you to deploy your skills and expertise in the management of neurosurgical cases in the hospital, serving patients from our catchment area and from other parts of Nigeria.”

Ugbodaga disclosed that Eki-Udoko was head-hunted and recruited during the hospital’s 2025 recruitment exercise as part of efforts to bring highly specialised medical professionals into its workforce.

According to him, her recruitment formed part of the hospital’s strategy to expand its capacity to provide advanced specialist services, particularly amid increasing demand for neurosurgical and trauma care in Edo, the South-South region and other parts of the country.

Eki-Udoko expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying her journey into neurosurgery was demanding and required perseverance.

She credited her husband for providing significant support throughout the difficult process and disclosed that she planned to undergo additional training in selected neurosurgical subspecialties.

“I am the First female neurosurgeon in Edo/Delta; we are seven all over the country and five of us are in practice in Nigeria,” she said.