The State of Neurovascular Surgery in Nigeria: Past, Present, and Future

This narrative review elaborates on the development of neurovascular surgery in Nigeria, highlighting the growth over the years. It also elucidates the severe shortage of specialists, the financial burden to patients who may require neurovascular services, and the limited diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. It highlights the critical need for specialized training programs, workforce expansion, infrastructural improvements, sustainable financing, and financial reforms. The authors reviewed the literature narratively and examined, in broad strokes, the historical background of neurovascular surgery in Nigeria, the current practices, outcomes, and training and gave recommendations. Search keywords used include neurovascular surgery in Nigeria, history of neurosurgery in Nigeria, endovascular facilities in Nigeria, and advances in neuroimaging in Nigeria in various combinations using Boolean operators. Searches were conducted in a nonsystematic manner through Public/Publisher MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and African Journal Online. The field of neurovascular surgery experienced significant growth, driven by the contributions of Dr E. L. Odeku in the 1960s and 1970s. However, this progress was hindered by economic and political instability between the 1980s and 2001s. Since the resurgence era began in 2002, substantial advancements have been made. However, the challenges being faced are numerous, and development is quite slow. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial to improving neurovascular care in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries, and addressing these deficiencies is essential for optimizing patient outcomes and advancing neurovascular care. This study highlights the state of neurovascular surgery in Nigeria, elucidates the challenges of this practice, and offers recommendations for improvement.