Rotary Districts 9111 and 9112 held a joyful joint first day in office prayers on 1 July 2026 at the Rotary Centre, Lagos, uniting Rotarians under new leadership
Rotary Districts 9111 and 9112 held a joyful joint first day in office prayers on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, at the conference room of District 9111, Rotary Centre, Lagos, bringing together Rotarians and guests from both districts to mark the commencement of a new Rotary year under the theme Create Lasting Impact.
District Governor Layi Abidoye of District 9112 called the event to order, led the Rotary grace and delivered opening remarks after Rotarians and guests had arrived and settled in from 8am.
Also read: Rotarian Layi Abidoye unveils powerful Rotary District 9112 roadmap
Pastor (Dr) Tope Dada of CAC New Covenant Assembly was introduced shortly afterwards and led Christian prayers and admonitions for the gathering. Sheikh AbdulLateef Bello, Deputy Chief Missioner of Nasirul Lahi il-Fathi (NASFAT) Society, was then introduced and led Islamic prayers and admonitions.
District Governor Bukola Bakare of District 9111 delivered the closing remarks and vote of thanks, after which attendees recited the national pledge. A photography session followed, and the event concluded with a joint press conference during which both district governors fielded questions from journalists.
Speaking on what Rotary stands for, District Governor Abidoye said, “Rotary is the biggest and most trusted service organisation in the whole world. And if you’re looking for a partner to take your idea far in terms of the improvements in the lives of the people, you can rely on Rotary.”
Also read: Abidoye to assume historic Rotary District 9112 governor role
District Governor Bakare, on his part, disclosed the strength of both districts, stating, “In District 9111, we have 87 clubs while in District 9112, we’ve 93 clubs and these clubs are scattered across Lagos and Ogun State. Everyday, our numbers are growing and today is a testament as I’ll be signing a new club right now.”
The joint prayer session reinforced the collaborative relationship between the two Rotary districts as their new leadership formally took office, with the interfaith format reflecting Rotary’s long-standing tradition of inclusiveness at the start of each service year.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
