The Fetal Diagnostic and Ultrasound Centre (FDUC) was established and registered in 2012 in Nigeria. It was set up to expand the frontiers of obstetric ultrasound service and training and take both to international standards in Nigeria. To that effect, the clinical ultrasound service has offered diagnostic ultrasound services to hundreds of clients in and around Benin City.

However, the more nationally and internationally prominent aspect is the training arm. This arm has offered high level fetal ultrasound training in Nigeria. The first training was in 2014 which had only the basic ultrasound course. By 2015, it got recognized by the International Society for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ISUOG). Its courses since 2015 have borne the stamp of ISUOG and have included the basic and advanced courses. In 2016, the “Masterclass” was included. This year 2020, as in some preceding years, we are privileged to organize this workshop in collaboration with the University of Benin, Benin City. We appreciate the Management team of the Hospital for this opportunity.

The training programme has been privileged to have an ever expanding team of local and international facilitators. Its host facilitator was recognized by ISUOG as its Ambassador for Anglophone West Africa in 2016. The centre has also had some publications in reputable local and international journals to highlight the impact of its activities. See: Organizing an international-standard obstetric ultrasound training program in a low-resource setting. IJGO. 2017: 136(1); 102-104; Trop J Obstet Gynaecol. 2016: 33(3); 292-296.

In 2016, a landmark publication of a book titled “Simple Tips on Enjoying Prregnancy and Delivery” was launched. This book has received wide acclaim as an important tool towards improving maternal health in Low and Medium Income Countries.

Over the last 6 years, about three hundred and fifty health practitioners from Nigeria and across West Africa have attended the training programme. The course is constantly being upgraded to meet the growing needs and challenges of practitioners. There are plans to collaborate with hospitals, organisations and even Ministries of Health to further improve the competence of medical practitioners in the field of Obstetric imaging especially in West Africa.

This year 2020 marks the 7th year in the unbroken succession of annual FDUC/ISUOG Fetal Medicine and Obstetric ultrasound training workshop. We appreciate the various individuals and organisations that have been a part of the success programme. We thank the ultrasound companies that have constantly provided demo ultrasound machines for the workshop. In particular, we thank GE Healthcare, JNC International, Swiss-Biostadt, AfricaMed, May and Baker and our other friends and partners for their continued support over the years.