The Founder/ Chief Executive Officer, ACE Group, Afeez Olajire, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health system through people-centred, evidence-based solutions.
In an interview with newsmen in Abuja, Olajire said the organisation is targetted at disrupting conventional development models that had hindered development in the past.
According to him, ACE Group is an umbrella body for Strategy and Consults Limited, an humanitarian and non-profit arm, dedicated to advancing equity, innovation and sustainable health outcomes.
He said ACE was born out of years of professional experience across sectors and regions, including managing programmes in seven countries across Southeast Asia and East Africa.
These experiences, he said, had exposed a persistent culture of rigid systems that were rarely questioned, even when they fail to deliver results.
“ACE came with the conviction that we can disrupt conventional thinking, we can bring down a solution, dissect it, look at it from a neutral line and profer solution.
” In the consulting world, there is a general belief that the environment is always tensed, everybody is working with fear because of work load. Our core value is humanity.
“It is also a social experiment for us where we can be considered and not being inhumane to employees to bridge equity gaps.
“We want to ensure that whether you’re the son of the rich or the poor, you still get the same quality of care and you still have the potential to live to the same optimal level irrespective of where you live or who gave birth to you without friction from people doing the work,” he said.
On achievements and growth, Olajire disclosed that ACE recorded major milestones in the past year, guided by a five-point strategic agenda.
According to him, the key among these was the establishment of a dedicated research unit to document institutional progress, alongside the development of a robust data and knowledge management system to ensure continuity and scalability.
“As part of its thought leadership efforts, ACE launched its first webinar series this year, focusing on health financing and the impact of funding shortages on national planning.
“The discussions gained heightened relevance following the sudden withdrawal of USAID funding, sparking renewed debate on sustainable financing options for the health sector,” he added.
Addressing workforce challenges, Olajire said ACE was responding to the growing trend of skilled professionals leaving the country by investing in digital and artificial intelligence-driven solutions to improve efficiency and retain talent.
He added that the organisation had significantly expanded its geographical footprint, growing from operations in 10 states in 2024 to interventions in at least 17 states in 2025, driven largely by its expanding polio-related programmes.
According to him, ACE’s online engagements have attracted over 400 participants across continents, while its innovative edutainment strategy, by using entertainment to drive health education.
This, he said had been scaled up in the North-West and North-East, noting that the initiative improve vaccine uptake that now covers 11 states and 162 political wards.
Olajire also revealed that ACE partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to engage traditional and religious leaders as key influencers in community health interventions.
Data generated from these programmes, he said, had been submitted to the Presidency and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to support evidence-based planning.
On maternal health, Olajire noted that Nigeria remained one of the highest contributors to global maternal mortality due to post-partum haemorrhage.
He said ACE had also supported the rollout of tested innovations, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, to reduce such preventable deaths.
Speaking on sustainability and quality assurance, Olajire said ACE prioritises mentorship, succession planning and staff welfare to maintain consistency as it scales.
“Our services are driven by standards and values, not by who funds the work or how much is paid,” he said.
He emphasised the critical role of government in creating an enabling policy environment and ensuring equitable resource allocation, commending the current administration for what he described as notable progress in the health sector.
Recall that the group has recorded significant gains in immunisation coverage, digital health innovation and community impact programmes across Nigeria in 2025.
According to a report, ACE’s edutainment had supported vaccination rounds by helping to vaccinate 349,319 children in 2025 alone and more than 577,000 children between 2024 and 2025, implemented across 11 high-risk northern states and over 200 wards.
The approach has contributed to reduced non-compliance and improved caregiver trust in routine immunisation.
The last group has also help to enumerate 683,875 children across more than 555,000 households, helping to identify about 123,000 missed children in Gombe State due to gaps in documentation.
