MAUTH Yola celebrates sixth successful conjoined twins separation

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Keypoints

• Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH), Yola, has successfully separated six sets of conjoined twins since its first successful procedure in 2013.
• The latest operation involved twins joined at the abdominal region, conducted by a multidisciplinary team led by Chief Paediatric Surgeon Prof. Abubakar Auwal.
• The hospital provided the entire procedure—including surgery, drugs, and admission—completely free of charge to the family.
• MAUTH has expanded significantly from a 100-bed facility in 1999 to over 800 beds with advanced CT and MRI diagnostic capabilities.
• Leadership at the hospital has called for increased government investment to curb medical tourism and address the migration of young doctors.

Main Story

A major medical milestone has been recorded in the North-East as the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH) discharged its latest set of successfully separated conjoined twins on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

This marks the sixth time the institution has completed such a complex surgery over the past decade, solidifying its reputation as a regional center of excellence for pediatric surgery.

The twins, who were joined at the abdomen, were separated without complications through the collaborative effort of the hospital’s radiology, nursing, and surgical units.

Chief Paediatric Surgeon Prof. Abubakar Auwal noted that while such procedures typically cost millions of naira, the hospital absorbed all expenses to support the family, who had already suffered the loss of the twins’ mother shortly after childbirth.

Despite the success, the hospital’s leadership used the occasion to highlight the “Japa” syndrome; the mass migration of young Nigerian doctors, urging the federal government to invest more in infrastructure and professional training to retain local talent and reduce the need for Nigerians to seek complex medical care abroad.

The Issues

The primary challenge is the resource-sustainability gap; while MAUTH has successfully performed six surgeries, the “free of charge” model is difficult to maintain without consistent government subvention or a dedicated endowment fund for complex pediatric cases. Authorities must solve the problem of specialist brain-drain, as the migration of young doctors threatens the long-term viability of the teams required for these intricate, multi-hour operations.

Furthermore, there is a diagnostic-infrastructure risk; although MAUTH now boasts 800 beds and MRI services, sustaining such advanced equipment in the North-East requires a stable power supply and specialized maintenance engineers who are often in short supply. To succeed, the hospital must transition from being a “referral center” for surgeries to a “training hub” that can replicate its expertise across other tertiary institutions in the region.

What’s Being Said

• “The hospital’s achievements are a result of teamwork, improved expertise and collaboration among specialists in different fields,” stated Prof. Abubakar Auwal.
• Chief Medical Director Prof. Adamu Bakari noted that the hospital has grown from a 100-bed facility in 1999 to over 800 beds, attracting patients from across the country.

What’s Next

• MAUTH is expected to document this sixth successful case as part of a longitudinal study to improve future pediatric surgical protocols in Nigeria.
• The hospital management is anticipated to engage the Federal Ministry of Health for additional funding to upgrade its pediatric intensive care unit (ICU).
• Public health advocates are likely to use this success story to push for a National Conjoined Twins Fund to ensure other teaching hospitals can offer similar free services.
• The twins will likely remain under outpatient observation for the next several months to monitor their abdominal healing and overall developmental milestones.

Bottom Line

MAUTH Yola is proving that world-class medical outcomes are possible in the North-East despite significant systemic challenges. By successfully separating six sets of twins in ten years, the hospital is not just saving lives but providing a powerful argument for investing in local clinical expertise over foreign medical tourism.