• Alvan-Emeka K Ukachukwu, Toyin A Oyemolade, Shiva A Nischal, Chiazor U Onyia, Eghosa Morgan, Ofodile C Ekweogwu, Omuvie I Orhorhoro, Misbahu H Ahmad, Olabamidele A Ayodele, Babagana Usman, Oluwakemi A Badejo, Yusuf Dawang, Oghenekevwe E Okere, Nancy Abu-Bonsrah, Di D Deng, Zoey Petitt, Paula N Njeru, Ena C Oboh, Ayodamola Otun, Megan E H Still, Michael M Haglund, Anthony T Fuller, Mark C Chikani, Amos O Adeleye, Augustine A Adeolu, and Duke Global Neurosurgery and Neurology-Nigeria Neurosurgery Capacity Assessment Project (NCAP) Survey Collaborators.
• Division of Global Neurosurgery and Neurology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. Electronic address: alvan.ukachukwu@duke.edu.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 May 1; 185: e30e43e30-e43.

BackgroundLike many low- and-middle-income countries in Africa, documented assessment of the neurosurgical workforce, equipment, infrastructure, and scope of service delivery in Nigeria is lacking. This study aimed to assess the capacity for the delivery of neurosurgical services in Nigeria.MethodsAn 83-question survey was disseminated to neurosurgeons and residents in Nigeria. We report the findings from the capacity assessment section of the survey, which used the modified neurological-PIPES (personnel, infrastructure, procedures, equipment, and supplies) (MN-PIPES) tool to evaluate the availability of neurosurgical personnel, infrastructure, procedures, equipment, and supplies. A comparative analysis was done using the domain and total MN-PIPES scores and MN-PIPES index.ResultsThe national average MN-PIPES score and index were 176.4 and 9.8, respectively. Overall, the southwest and northwest regions had the highest scores and frequently had high subscores. The survey respondents reported that the main challenges impeding neurosurgery service delivery were a lack of adjunctive supplies (75.2%), a dearth of diagnostic and interventional equipment (72.4%), and an absence of a dedicated intensive care unit (72.4%).ConclusionsThe availability of workforce, infrastructure, equipment, and supplies needed to provide optimal neurosurgical care is uneven in many institutions in Nigeria. Although major strides have been made in recent years, targeted collaborative interventions at local, national, regional, and international levels will further improve neurosurgical service delivery in Nigeria and will have positive ripple effects on the rest of the healthcare system.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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