The Governor of Rotary International District 9110, Rotarian Omotunde Lawson will lead a delegation of Rotarians on a six-day official visit to Turkey for the first ever Rotary Means Business (RMB) and Friendship Exchange.
The team, which will visit four Turkish cities in Turkey, leaves Lagos on Tuesday, 20th September.
The District Governor will perform the official signing of the Joint District Sister Agreement between her district and District 2440 (Izmir, Turkey) in Turkey, and also flag off the trade mission (Rotary Means Business)/Start-ups at the Izmir Chambers of Commerce. Izmir is the biggest commercial city in Turkey.
A statement by Rotary International District 9110 explained that the event was necessitated by the need to promote friendship and business beyond borders and enhance inter-district activities in building goodwill and better friendship among Rotarians of both countries.
During an interactive session with journalists on Monday, the District Governor invites businessmen and women to join Rotary, which is the biggest service organisations in the world. She urged them to join hands in promoting humanitarian services in their various communities and to connect the world as a global citizen.
Omotunde, the first female Governor in 42 years of District 9110, expressed her joy on the realisation of the exchange programme after months of planning.
On their part, the Governor and Rotarians of District 2440 are excited to receive and welcome their counterparts from District 9110. The District Executive Secretary, Mert Kourer said that it is a landmark event for both districts and countries and called on both parties to give Rotarians every support to enable them participate in more trade missions, start-ups and friendships exchange as it promotes cultural exchange.
He said this is a gateway for many others RMB and friendships to come.
The high-profile trade mission and friendships exchange include the visiting District Governor signing a Rotary Inter-Districts Cooperation and Sister Regional Agreement between District 9110 and District 2440 in Turkey; and flagging off the trade mission (Rotary Means Business)/start-ups at the Izmir Chambers of Commerce; one of the biggest commercial cities in Turkey.
To create more awareness on the fight to end Polio in the world, DG Lawson will join other District Governors, Rotary leaders and the Mayor of Adiyaman to an End Polio city walk, followed by a Reach-the-Mountain-Top concert for polio victims.
To further build bilateral relations between Nigeria and Turkey, Omotunde will visit Ankara for a meeting with the President of International Business and Investment, Nezaket Emine Atasoy and the Nigeria Ambassador to Turkey in Ankara.
Coordinator for the programme, Rotarian Benedict Okhumale congratulated the District Governor for the move. He said the event was conceptualised to give Rotarians in business an opportunity to network as well as establish relationships that would help them grow their businesses.
The return exchange visit of Turkish Rotarians for the friendship and business exhibition comes up later in the year.
The International Liaison Representative for the RMB friendship exchange programme, Rotarian Ozuem Esiri commended the DG for seeing through the process to lead the delegation. He said it is an opportunity to connect the world, exchange, build and promote business and friendship exchange in business and professions as Rotarians.
