Olayinka Hakeem Babalola, a Nigerian and president-elect of Rotary International, is set to be inaugurated on Wednesday as the global president of one of the world’s largest humanitarian service organisations.
A member of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Babalola becomes only the second African to lead Rotary International, an organisation with more than 45,000 clubs across the globe.
During his one-year term, he will focus on promoting peacebuilding efforts and encouraging sustainable, community-driven solutions to both local and global challenges.
Babalola said Rotary provides people with the opportunity to positively impact their communities while building meaningful relationships, fostering collaboration and embracing diverse perspectives.
He noted that in a time marked by growing divisions and uncertainty, Rotary has an important role in promoting understanding, advancing peace and creating opportunities for communities to flourish.
With decades of experience in community development, public health and peacebuilding across Africa, Babalola has also contributed to the Rotary Peace Center at Makerere University in Uganda.
As president, he will continue to champion Rotary’s global campaign to eradicate polio, one of the organisation’s most significant humanitarian initiatives.
Rotary International says its efforts have helped reduce global polio cases by 99.9 percent, contributing more than $3 billion and mobilising volunteers to protect over three billion children through its partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Babalola has been actively involved in the campaign, serving on the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee and as an adviser to the Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee.
Over the years, the Rotary Foundation has also invested more than $5.5 billion in grants supporting projects focused on disease prevention, peacebuilding, clean water, education, maternal and child health, and economic development worldwide.
