Rotary International’s President-Elect, Olayinka Akeem Babalola, has pledged to use his historic appointment to strengthen Rotary’s global impact while expanding investments in Nigeria and Africa.
Babalola, who will assume office in July 2026 as president of the 119-year-old humanitarian organization, spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, where he was introduced by Rtn. Joshua Hassan, a Past District Governor, who noted that Babalola is only the second African to hold the prestigious position since the organization’s founding in 1905.
Babalola, a member of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, was elected by the Rotary International Board of Directors to serve as President for the 2026/2027 Rotary year, beginning July 1, 2026.
“This is a privilege to lead a global movement dedicated to creating lasting change, not only across communities but also within ourselves. It is an exciting development for Nigeria, Africa, and the entire Rotary world”, Babalola said.
Babalola said Nigeria’s leadership would bring African innovation into Rotary’s global agenda while scaling programs that deliver measurable community impact.
Noting that Rotary International, with 1.4 million members in 46,000 clubs across more than 200 countries, Babalola said his presidency would reinforce the focus of the organization on maternal and child health, disease prevention, education, economic development, peacebuilding, and environmental sustainability.
He reaffirmed Rotary’s commitment to eradicating polio, which he called its top corporate initiative, saying, “When we started this campaign in 1985, polio was killing and maiming over 1,000 children daily across 125 countries.
“Today, polio is endemic in only Afghanistan and Pakistan, and annual cases are fewer than 50. But we will not rest until no child is at risk.”
While Nigeria has been certified free of wild poliovirus, Babalola warned of variant cases fueled by low immunization coverage.
“Polio is not circulating in Nigeria as an endemic disease.
“That was stopped, and that was why the WHO certified Nigeria and Africa wild polio-free. But some issues have emerged,” he said.
He cautioned that Nigeria remains vulnerable, noting that herd immunity requires at least 80% coverage, yet some States have as little as 13%.
“Many of the cases you are now seeing as a variant of polio are mostly present in those parts of the country where the routine immunization coverage is very low,” he said, while emphasizing that Rotary is working with the government to close these gaps.
Beyond polio, he said Rotary is investing in programs to combat malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea, citing a $9.8 million project in Kebbi and Akwa Ibom States that builds on a $4 million pilot in Zambia, which nearly halved malaria deaths.
“That’s the kind of measurable impact Rotary is scaling across Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
He also highlighted Rotary’s education initiatives, which provide classrooms, teacher training, and solar lighting to support learning.
“Safe water is not just health, it’s education,” he said, recalling a ₦100 million water and sanitation project in Rivers State.
He said Nigeria could benefit from having produced the organization’s president, but emphasized that the body is well-structured and does not tolerate favouritism, as resources are allocated strictly based on requests and needs in line with established procedures.
Nigeria, he added, already benefits from Rotary’s global support, noting, “On the average, Rotary in Nigeria would donate… maybe about $3 million. In Nigeria alone, in the last three years, the Rotary Foundation has spent $33.5 million.
“Will there be increased grants? The possibility is there. But that will only happen if our Rotarians step up and do more for their communities. And I think they will do more,” he said.
He, however, noted that during his tenure, he hopes to see Rotary expand further in Africa and worldwide, strengthening its global humanitarian efforts.
“Wherever Rotary goes, good things follow. We need more people, more clubs, and more partnerships to create lasting change. This is Africa’s moment to lead. We will show the world that solutions can come from here.”
He encouraged Nigerians to join local Rotary clubs to address pressing challenges, saying, “You tell them, look, this is an issue in this area. Can we do something about it? It falls squarely into our areas of focus. And if there’s a need in that community, your Rotary club will take care of it”.
