Nigerian engineer and business leader Olayinka Hakeem Babalola will assume office on 1 July 2026 as President of Rotary International, becoming only the second Nigerian and African to lead the global humanitarian organisation.
A member of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi in Rivers State, Babalola succeeds to the organisation’s highest office more than two decades after Jonathan Majiyagbe of the Rotary Club of Kano became Rotary International’s first African president during the 2003/2004 Rotary year.
As President of Rotary International, Babalola will oversee the organisation’s network of more than 1.2 million members across over 45,000 clubs worldwide. His one-year tenure, which runs until 30 June 2027, will focus on strengthening Rotary’s peacebuilding efforts and promoting sustainable, community-led solutions to local and global challenges.
Speaking ahead of the commencement of his tenure, Babalola said Rotary provides people with opportunities to serve their communities while fostering collaboration and mutual understanding.
“Rotary gives people the opportunity not only to make a difference in their communities, but also to grow through meaningful relationships, collaboration and a deeper appreciation of different perspectives.
“At a time when many societies face division and uncertainty, I believe Rotary has an important role to play in building understanding, advancing peace and creating opportunities for communities to thrive. As president, I look forward to highlighting and strengthening that impact around the world,” he said.
Babalola brings decades of experience in community development, peacebuilding and public health initiatives across Africa. He has played an active role in supporting Rotary’s Peace Centre at Makerere University in Uganda, the organisation’s first peace centre on the African continent.
Ending polio will remain one of Rotary’s foremost priorities during his presidency. Working alongside its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has helped reduce global polio cases by 99.9 per cent, contributing more than US$3 billion and millions of volunteer hours towards protecting more than three billion children from the disease.
Babalola has also been closely involved in Rotary’s polio eradication campaign, serving on the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee and advising the Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee.
Beyond disease eradication, Rotary members implement community-based projects aimed at promoting peace, improving access to clean water and sanitation, supporting education, strengthening local economies, protecting the environment, and improving maternal and child health. Through The Rotary Foundation, the organisation has awarded more than US$5.5 billion over the past century to support humanitarian projects around the world.
An engineer by training, Babalola spent more than three decades in the oil and gas industry, holding senior leadership positions at Shell before establishing Riviera Technical Services Limited, an oil and gas infrastructure company, and Lead and Change Consulting, an executive coaching and organisational performance consultancy.
He is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Institute of Safety Professionals and the Association of Change Management Practitioners. He also belongs to the Jericho Business Club, a civic organisation based in Ibadan that contributes to national policy discussions.
Babalola’s Rotary journey began in 1984 through Rotaract, Rotary’s youth leadership programme, before he joined the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi in 1994. Over the years, he has held several leadership positions within the organisation and currently serves as a trustee of ShelterBox UK, Rotary’s official disaster relief partner.
He and his wife, Preba, are major supporters of The Rotary Foundation through a named endowment and are members of the Arch Klumph Society, which recognises the organisation’s highest level of philanthropic giving.
His contributions to Rotary have earned him several honours, including the Africa Centennial Heroes Award, the Service Above Self Award, the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World and The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service.
