What Development Governance International Consult does

Development Governance International Consult (DGI Consult) is a Nigerian management consulting firm founded in 2018 and headquartered in Abuja, specializing in governance, research, and institutional capacity-strengthening services for the health sector. The firm operates as a professional services provider, delivering technical assistance, program management, and advisory engagements to government health agencies (state ministries of health, state health insurance agencies, primary healthcare development agencies) and international development partners (USAID, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Christian Aid). Its core service areas are policy and program development, institutional capacity strengthening, and health financing and governance system strengthening, with engagement models spanning fiscal space analysis, public financial management assessments, organizational capacity workshops, and policy diagnostics.

DGI's deliverables include both consulting services and a modest digital product portfolio. Flagship technology assets include the Nationwide Vulnerability Assessment Tool (a digitized multi-level registry built for the National Health Insurance Authority with automatic vulnerability index calculation) and the Emerging Solutions Repository (an online database of health sector innovations). Thought leadership is anchored in peer-reviewed publications (Pan African Medical Journal, Human Resources for Health, Lancet Nigeria Commission) and convening events such as the Health System Emerging Solutions Forum and the National Health Financing Dialogue. The firm operates with a lean core team of 11-50 staff supplemented by a network of local and international consultants, with engagement footprint across 12+ Nigerian states and prior work in Liberia and Uganda.

Revenue is generated through project-based, contract-driven professional services billed to donors and government clients on multi-year agreements. There is no subscription or recurring software revenue stream; pricing is determined per project scope through competitive donor procurement or government contracting. Go-to-market is sales-led, dependent on technical reputation, peer-reviewed publications, thought leadership events, and long-term relationships built through project delivery. The firm's competitive position rests on the senior leadership profile of Managing Partner Dr. Gafar Alawode (former Country Director of Health Policy Plus, Chief of Party of USAID HFG, State Team Lead for DFID PATHS2), broad multi-state donor relationships, and a track record of being identified as a standout Nigerian organization for health financing and governance capacity building.

Name

Development Governance International Consult

Legal name

Development Governance International Consult

Website

https://dgiconsult.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Development Governance International Consult (DGI Consult) is a Nigerian consulting firm providing governance, research, and institutional capacity-strengthening services to government health agencies and development partners across Nigeria's health sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF), Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN), Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN), Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM)

Keywords

• Health financing consulting
• Governance advisory services
• Institutional capacity building
• Health systems strengthening
• Policy research consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Abuja

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donor-funded Technical Assistance Projects: DGI Consult earns revenue by implementing donor-funded projects on behalf of development partners (USAID, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, CHAI, Christian Aid, etc.). Projects cover health financing analytics, organizational capacity strengthening, policy development, program management, and research. Revenue is project-based and contract-driven.
2. Consulting Services to Government Agencies: The firm provides state-of-the-art technical assistance and program management to state governments (health insurance agencies, ministries of health, PHC development agencies) in Nigeria. Services include institutional capacity strengthening, health system diagnostics, and governance reforms, typically funded through development partner grants or government contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DGI Consult is a purpose-driven consulting firm that delivers state-of-the-art technical assistance, program management, and research in health financing, governance, and institutional capacity strengthening. Its core work includes health financing analytics (fiscal space analysis, PFM assessments, public expenditure reviews), organizational capacity strengthening for state health insurance agencies and primary healthcare development agencies, and evidence-based policy advisory services for government agencies and donor-funded programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health Financing and Governance Technical Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• DGI Consult supported the development of NHIA's nationwide vulnerability assessment tool for identifying poor and vulnerable populations across Nigeria.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USAID / LHSS Project (Abt Global)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDGI Consult was engaged by USAID's Local Health System Strengthening (LHSS) Project (implemented by Abt Global) to strengthen the organizational capacity of State Health Insurance Agencies and State Primary Health Care Development Agencies in Nasarawa, Plateau, and Zamfara States. LHSS identified DGI Consult through a competitive grant process as the standout Nigerian organization for this mandate. The engagement involved organizational capacity assessments, development of capacity strengthening plans, and delivery of multi-day OCS workshops.
• UNICEF NigeriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF Nigeria funded DGI Consult to conduct a public health expenditure analysis across eight Nigerian states. The partnership involved assessing health budget allocations, expenditure patterns, and efficiency, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the GAVI PHC MoU in catalyzing increased government investment in health. Findings were disseminated through a high-level stakeholder workshop convened in collaboration with UNICEF.
• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHAI, in collaboration with the Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board, engaged DGI Consult to provide technical support for the Zero-Dose Costing Study in Kano State. DGI Consult team members assessed cost implications and financial drivers of reaching zero-dose children from supply and demand sides, designed endline data collection tools, trained data collectors, and conducted supervisory visits. The project built on CHAI's baseline assessment.
• Nigeria UHC ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGI Consult is a founding member of the Nigeria UHC Forum, a coalition of diverse stakeholders (donor agencies, development partners, civil society, professional bodies) working to raise political prioritization of health in Nigeria. Dr. Gafar Alawode serves as co-convener of the forum. DGI Consult collaborates with the forum on UHC advocacy, the UHC Excellence Awards, and the annual Health System Emerging Solutions Forum.
• Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith funding from the Gates Foundation, DGI Consult and Numora Integrated Services Limited (NISL) are providing technical support to the FMoHSW's Nigeria Health System Exemplar Analysis for Action Project. The study aims to identify and scale proven best practices across exemplar states by examining drivers of health system performance.
• Government of Gombe StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGI Consult has worked extensively with Gombe State on health system transformation, including supporting the Gombe Health Summit 2025, contributing to a published paper in the Pan African Medical Journal on health system accomplishments and challenges. DGI also supported the development of the Gombe State Health Summit proceedings.
• Nasarawa State Ministry of Health and NASHIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGI Consult has been engaged with Nasarawa State since the establishment of NASHIA, providing ongoing technical support for operational guideline reviews, organizational capacity assessments, OCS workshops, and climate change and health initiatives. The Commissioner for Health credited DGI Consult's impact as synonymous with the state's health achievements.
• IMPACT Project / WHOminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDGI Consult provided technical support during a climate change and health capacity-building workshop organized by the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the IMPACT Project. WHO representatives participated as stakeholders in the workshop on operationalizing Nasarawa State's Health Sector Adaptation Plan.
• World Health Organization (WHO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO participated in DGI Consult-facilitated climate change and health workshops in Nasarawa State. Dr. Gafar Alawode's technical presentations referenced the WHO Operational Framework for building a climate-resilient health system.
• Yobe State Contributory Health Management Agency (YSCHMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGI Consult provided technical assistance to YSCHMA to enhance health insurance operations. YSCHMA's Director of Programs presented on using data to improve health insurance operations at the Health System Emerging Solutions Forum organized by DGI Consult.
• Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIHVN participated as a partner stakeholder in the climate change and health workshop in Nasarawa State, facilitated by DGI Consult with technical support for the IMPACT Project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Results for Development (R4D): International non-profit focused on health financing, governance, and institutional capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries. R4D's work on health insurance, domestic resource mobilization, and primary health care reform closely parallels DGI's service portfolio and donor footprint.
• Health Policy Plus (Palladium): Implemented by Palladium, Health Policy Plus is a USAID-funded health financing and governance project and the most direct analogue to DGI Consult's offering. Dr. Gafar Alawode previously served as Country Director, and the project covers the same health financing, PFM, and policy advisory space DGI targets.
• Solina Centre for International Development and Research: Nigerian and West African health systems consulting firm working on health financing, PHC strengthening, and donor-funded program implementation. Closely comparable to DGI in size, geography, and service offering, and a direct competitor for subnational health governance mandates in Nigeria.
• ThinkWell Institute: Global health systems and health financing consulting firm working with donors and governments across Africa and Asia. ThinkWell's strategic purchasing, domestic resource mobilization, and health systems analytics work overlaps directly with DGI's fiscal space analysis, PFM, and health insurance capacity-building services.

Emerging players

• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): Global health organization that has engaged DGI as a technical partner on the Zero-Dose Costing Study in Kano. CHAI operates the same health financing and immunization financing advisory space in Nigeria, sometimes as a client of DGI and sometimes as a parallel service provider.

Broad incumbents

• Abt Associates: Large international research and consulting firm prime contractor on USAID LHSS, which directly engaged DGI as a sub-implementer. Operates across the same health systems strengthening donor space as DGI but at far greater scale and as a prime contractor.
• Oxford Policy Management: International development consulting firm with strong governance, public financial management, and health financing practices operating across Africa. OPM's Nigeria and West Africa portfolio directly competes with DGI for donor-funded governance and PFM mandates.
• Palladium: International development firm operating across health, governance, and economic growth in Africa; previously led the Health Policy Plus project. Competes with DGI for donor-funded health governance and financing mandates but as a much larger, broader portfolio player.
• DAI Global Health: International development company with a dedicated Global Health practice implementing donor-funded health systems and PHC programs across Africa. Listed as a DGI client on their website (DAI-logo visible), and competes for similar health financing and governance engagements.

Regional players

• Nigeria Health Watch: Nigeria-based health communication and advocacy platform covering health policy, governance, and UHC. While more editorial/advocacy than consulting, it operates in the same Nigerian health-system thought leadership space and serves as a parallel channel for UHC-related content and convening.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dgiconsult
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dgiconsult2539
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dgi-consult-development-governance-international-consult
• Instagraminstagram.com/dgi_consult

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Development Governance International Consult