In a significant boost to Nigeria's public health landscape, a mission-driven consulting organisation has successfully immunised and reached more than 1.4 million children across the country in 2025. The achievement was announced by ACE Strategy and Consults, which detailed its multifaceted approach combining direct vaccination, innovative community engagement, and advanced data enumeration.
Edutainment and Digital Tools Drive Record Numbers
During a press conference in Abuja on Friday, December 12, the Managing Partner of ACE, Mr Afeez Olajire, outlined the organisation's 2025 outcomes. A cornerstone of their success was an edutainment-driven immunisation strategy, which merges education with entertainment to build trust and increase vaccine acceptance among communities.
This unique method led to the vaccination of 349,319 children in 2025 alone. When combined with the previous year's efforts, the initiative has immunised over 577,000 children across 11 high-risk northern states and more than 200 wards. "We realised that conventional approaches were no longer enough. Using real-life stories and trusted community voices helped reduce non-compliance and significantly improved caregiver trust," Olajire explained.
Closing the Gap: Identifying Missed Children with Data
Beyond creative outreach, ACE leveraged technology to find children who had slipped through the cracks of the health system. The organisation deployed a digital "Identify, Enumerate and Vaccinate" model to strengthen routine immunisation planning. This effort enumerated 683,875 children across more than 555,000 households.
Critically, this data-driven approach identified approximately 123,000 previously missed children in Gombe State, where weak health registry documentation had hidden them from the system. "We cannot fix what we cannot see. Data helps us know exactly where the gaps are and how to close them," Olajire stated, highlighting the introduction of updated GIS-based microplanning tools for improved accuracy.
Systems Strengthening and Nationwide Expansion
The organisation's impact extended beyond immunisation. In Kano State, ACE provided technical support for an azithromycin mass drug administration campaign, supervising over 1,000 drug delivery teams to reach nearly 500,000 children under five. Their focus was on quality assurance, recruitment, and mentorship of field workers.
ACE also worked to fortify the underlying health infrastructure. It conducted influencer and gatekeeper mapping across 17 southern states to create a national database for guiding public health messages. Furthermore, it institutionalised a primary healthcare performance management model in Kano to improve grassroots service delivery.
Reflecting on their philosophy, Olajire said, "Our goal is to ensure that whether a child is born rich or poor, they have the same opportunity to live a healthy life." He emphasised that ACE maintains consistent quality standards regardless of project size or funding source.
The organisation's reach expanded dramatically in a single year, growing from operations in 10 states to a presence in over 31 states. This growth is supported by strong internal systems, staff mentorship, and newly established research and data management units. Olajire urged governments to deepen equity-driven decision-making, especially as international donor funding declines, noting that "equity is not giving everyone the same thing; it is giving people what they need."
