Nigeria’s first female spine surgeon, Dr Diekramabo Aguwuom, has returned from Jerusalem, Israel, armed with advanced expertise that could significantly strengthen specialised spine care in Nigeria.
Aguwuom recently completed an intensive one-year-and-four-month fellowship in advanced spine surgery at the prestigious Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, where she trained under leading specialists in modern spine surgery.
Her return marks an important milestone not only in her medical career but also in Nigeria’s continuing quest to develop highly specialised healthcare expertise locally.
The fellowship was the culmination of years of determination by Aguwuom to obtain advanced training in spine surgery, a highly specialised field in which Nigeria has a limited number of practitioners.
Her mentor and Head of the Spine Team at Hadassah Medical Center, Prof. Josh Schroeder, underscored the significance of her training against the backdrop of Nigeria’s huge population and shortage of specialised spine surgeons.
“Nigeria has a population of 200 million citizens and very few spine surgeons,” Schroeder said.
He noted that Aguwuom had pursued specialised training in spine surgery for years before the opportunity arose for her to train at Hadassah.
“I am extremely glad we were able to bring her to Hadassah and equip her with the most advanced tools in modern medicine,” he said.
Schroeder expressed confidence that the Nigerian surgeon would return home to make a transformative contribution to the country’s healthcare system.
For Aguwuom, the experience has been both professionally rewarding and deeply personal.
Reflecting on her time in Jerusalem, she described the fellowship as an “unforgettable” period of intensive training that had fundamentally shaped her career.
She expressed appreciation to Schroeder and the entire spine team at Hadassah for their patience, guidance and willingness to share their expertise throughout the programme.
“My dream of gaining the world-class skills needed to care for Nigerian patients with spine conditions is now a reality,” she said.
At her farewell event, Aguwuom also expressed gratitude to her mentors for the opportunity to learn from them, promising to put the knowledge acquired to good use.
“By God’s grace, I will make you all proud,” she told her teachers, before concluding with the Hebrew expression, “Toda Rabbah” ; meaning “thank you very much”.
The significance of Aguwuom’s achievement extends beyond her distinction as Nigeria’s first female spine surgeon. Her specialised training comes at a time when the country continues to grapple with shortages of highly trained medical specialists and the consequences of patients travelling abroad to obtain complex medical treatment.
Her return therefore presents an opportunity to translate international expertise into improved healthcare outcomes for Nigerians suffering from spinal conditions.
It also underscores the importance of specialist medical training, mentorship and international collaboration in building Nigeria’s capacity to provide advanced healthcare at home.
For patients, the ultimate value of her journey will not be measured by the prestige of the institution where she trained, but by the lives potentially saved, disabilities prevented and quality of life restored through the knowledge and skills she has acquired.
From Jerusalem, Aguwuom returns not merely with a certificate of specialised training, but with a renewed professional mission to apply world-class spine surgery expertise to the service of Nigerians and contribute to the growth of specialised medical care in the country.
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