At a presidential inaugural dinner held in Abuja on 5 July 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Rotary International President Rotarian Olayinka Hakeem Babalola gathered to hail Rotary International for its pivotal role in defeating polio across Nigeria and to advance a deeper Tinubu Rotary partnership in healthcare and education.
The occasion marked the recent inauguration of Rotarian Olayinka Hakeem Babalola as president of Rotary International on 1 July 2026. He became only the second African to lead the global service organisation in its 121-year history, following Jonathan Majiyagbe in 2003.
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President Tinubu, through his representative, expressed deep appreciation for Rotary’s leadership in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
“Rotary’s leadership in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative remains one of the finest examples of international cooperation in public health,” he noted.
“Nigeria understands what it means for a nation once burdened by the wild polio virus to stand free of it through persistence, partnership, science and sacrifice, and we say thank you.”
Nigeria had long grappled with the wild polio virus. Sustained efforts by Rotary and its partners have delivered a remarkable public health triumph, allowing millions of children to grow up free from the disease.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo added his voice to the tributes. “Africa is watching. Nigeria is watching. History is watching. And we are proud,” he said, highlighting the historic significance of Babalola’s leadership for the continent.
Rotarian Olayinka Hakeem Babalola reflected on the organisation’s achievements in Nigeria.
He stressed that Rotary’s greatest impact lies in transforming lives and creating hope, particularly through decades of volunteer service in the polio fight. He called for ongoing vigilance, noting that every child deserves freedom from the disease until it is eradicated globally.
Beyond polio, Rotary is advancing new initiatives.
These include the Together for Healthy Families programme in states such as Abuja, Nasarawa, Gombe and Ekiti to support maternal and child health, alongside the Healthy Communities Challenge targeting diseases like malaria in Kebbi and Akwa Ibom.
The leaders aligned these efforts with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda. They invited Rotary to strengthen collaboration in primary healthcare, basic education, literacy, youth skills and enterprise development.
President Tinubu emphasised that no reform is complete without improving citizens’ lives and that aligning Rotary’s service culture with government priorities can deliver measurable and lasting results.
Such a Tinubu Rotary partnership promises to build on existing successes, fostering better health outcomes and educational opportunities for communities across the country.
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This gathering underscored the power of international cooperation in addressing shared challenges, with Rotary’s enduring commitment offering a model for future progress in human development.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
