The Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro, District 9112, has installed Rotarian Emeka Nwosu as its 25th President for the 2026–2027 Rotary year, with a renewed commitment to community service under the international theme, “Create Lasting Impact.”

The investiture ceremony was held at Sir Adetokunbo Ademola Hall, Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, bringing together Rotarians, family members, friends, corporate executives and traditional rulers to witness the leadership transition. The ceremony also featured the inauguration of the club’s 2026–2027 Board of Directors and the induction of three new members. The event was chaired by Ayokunle Ojo, Group Executive, Treasury and Financial Institutions at First Bank of Nigeria Limited. (Freelanews)

Ojo, who was appointed to his current position in August 2026, has more than 26 years of professional experience covering treasury management, global markets, foreign exchange, interest rates, derivatives and financial advisory. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Ilorin and a certificate in Designing High-Impact Solutions from MITdesignX, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (First Bank Group)

The ceremony marked the transition from Immediate Past President Rotarian (Engr.) Alexander Chukwu, whose 2025–2026 tenure was characterised by healthcare, economic empowerment, education and community development initiatives.

Among the club’s major interventions was the renovation and equipping of wards C1 and C2 at General Hospital Odan, a project valued at about N150 million. The club also empowered 64 Lagos artisans with tools valued at N15 million, while supporting education and other community-focused initiatives. (NaijaPulse)

The club was subsequently recognised as the Overall Best Club in Rotary International District 9112, following its performance during the 2025–2026 Rotary year. (Crystal News)

Speaking at the investiture, Chukwu described Nwosu as an intelligent team player and humanitarian whose commitment to service predates his membership of Rotary.

“The newly installed President, Rotarian Emeka Nwosu, is a quite intelligent man, a team player. He’s someone who is humanitarian,” Chukwu said.

He noted that Nwosu had previously been a Rotaractor while in school and had remained involved in humanitarian activities over the years.

“I’m very confident because he’s a team player. He’ll carry the club along and that will help him in achieving a lot during his Rotary year. I wish him the very best,” he added.

Nwosu, a Health, Safety and Risk Management professional with more than two decades of experience, takes over the club’s leadership with an agenda centred on sustainable community projects, stronger membership engagement and strategic partnerships.

His priorities include education, healthcare, youth empowerment, environmental sustainability, maternal and child health, and economic development.

Rotarian Toyin Odulate, President of the Rotary Club of Lagos, described Nwosu as an amiable and collaborative leader who could bring members together in pursuit of the club’s objectives.

“I’m here for the installation of Rotarian Emeka Nwosu as President of Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro.

Rotarian Emeka Nwosu is an amiable, wonderful Rotarian, very unifying, very collaborative, and he means well,” Odulate said.

She wished him a successful tenure, adding that his leadership could produce significant achievements for the club.

Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Clare Omatseye, also praised Nwosu for what she described as his professional excellence and philanthropic disposition.

“Rotarian Emeka Nwosu is a professional of excellence, somebody that’s a philanthropic person from the heart,” Omatseye said, noting that she had heard positive accounts of him from people who had known him for more than three decades.

She said his professional background in health and safety also aligned with Rotary’s commitment to humanitarian service.

Assistant Governor Adekemi Folorunsho described Nwosu as a “phenomenal Rotarian” who had been part of the club for several years and was now taking on the responsibility of leading it.

“Today is his investiture and I can see that it’s going on well and it’s well represented by members of the Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro. We are the pride of Rotary,” she said.

Guest Speaker Valentine Ozigbo, Immediate Past President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Plc, used the occasion to challenge Rotary members to look beyond humanitarian interventions and contribute to addressing deeper structural problems in Nigeria.

Ozigbo said Nigeria needed what he described as a restructuring of both the Nigerian mind and the Nigerian system.

While acknowledging Rotary’s work in areas such as feeding vulnerable people, scholarships and healthcare, he urged the organisation to expand its role in nation-building while remaining non-political and non-partisan.

“Just stopping and dealing with symptoms is good, but I genuinely want Rotary to leverage their capacity to do more by getting into nation building where we confront the root causes of issues without being political or partisan,” he said.

He also urged Nigerians to move beyond repeatedly describing the country in terms of its potential and focus more on translating that potential into tangible development.

Past District Governor Rita Ejezie of Rotary International District 9110 said she was delighted to witness Nwosu’s installation and expressed confidence that he would build on the club’s previous achievements.

“We wish him success in all his endeavours while we believe he’ll take our club to the next level,” Ejezie said.

She recalled that the club had emerged as the best in the district in the previous Rotary year and expressed hope that the new administration would sustain its strong performance.

Dr Laurine Ubanozie, a past president of the club and current Club Learning Facilitator, also expressed optimism about Nwosu’s tenure.

She said the club had developed significantly over the years and would support the new president in achieving its strategic objectives.

“As the Learning Facilitator, I’ll keep upgrading the club with knowledge of Rotary,” Ubanozie said, adding that the club was working towards expanding its membership.

The investiture also saw the induction of three new members, Nneamaka Patience Okoro, Ayobami Ogunfowokan and Dike Ifeoma Jane, as well as the inauguration of the 2026–2027 Board of Directors.

The new administration is expected to build on the club’s record of interventions in healthcare, education, economic empowerment and community development.

The club has also moved quickly to translate its new leadership into community action. Under Nwosu, it is scheduled to undertake a four-day vision and hearing screening programme for Primary One pupils in 10 public primary schools in Lagos Island under a Rotary International Global Grant. (NaijaPulse)

The leadership transition therefore places Nwosu at the head of a club coming off a strong service year, with its new administration expected to sustain existing programmes while pursuing its own priorities.

The club continues to operate under Rotary’s longstanding motto, “Service Above Self.”