Nigerian engineer picked to lead Rotary

Olayinka Babalola, who has been selected to lead Rotary International.

Babalola will serve as the president for the 2026-2027 term, beginning July 1, 2026, with this historic appointment making him the second African after Jonathan B. Majiyagbe of Nigeria, who served from 2003 to 2004.

As head of Rotary’s 45,000 clubs worldwide, Babalola will also lead organisation’s  top priority of ending polio.  One of Babalola’s most notable commitments has been his long-standing involvement with the humanitarian organisation’s polio eradication efforts. Rotary International first envisioned a polio-free world, and has been at the center of the fight to eradicate polio for over three and a half decades.

In 1988, Rotary formed the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, later joined.

Together with its GPEI, it has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent and contributed more than US$2.9 billion, along with countless volunteer hours, to protect over 3 billion children from this paralyzing disease.

Polio is a highly infectious but vaccine-preventable disease that most commonly affects children under the age of five. For over 35 years, Rotary and its partners have led the effort to eradicate polio worldwide.

Babalola was a member of the End-Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee and has served as an adviser to Nigeria’s National PolioPlus Committee since 2016.

He accepted the nomination, describing this as an opportunity to build and strengthen partnerships to impact communities.

“Rotary transforms lives, not only through the projects we deliver, but through the hope we share, the meaningful relationships we build, and the shared purpose we inspire,” Babaola said in a statement expressing his commitment to advancing peace, expanding opportunities, and supporting communities.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated Babalola, calling his election a testament to his years of service and a source of inspiration for millions of Nigerians. Babalola’s journey with Rotary began in 1988 as a Rotaractor, and he joined the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi in Nigeria in 1994.

His leadership roles within the organisation have been extensive, a testament to his dedication and commitment to the organisation. He served as District Governor from 2011 to 2012, as an International Director from 2018 to 2020, and as Rotary International Vice President from 2019 to 2020.

Babalola’s professional background is rooted in engineering, a field where he has spent over two decades. He held senior positions at Shell PLC before founding two of his own companies: Riviera Services Ltd, an oil and gas infrastructure firm, and Lead and Change Consulting, an executive coaching group.

He is also a member of several professional associations, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Babalola has also been actively involved with the Rotary Peace Centre at Makerere University in Uganda, the organisation’s first in Africa, where he has mentored Peace Fellows to apply their training through local initiatives.

His philanthropic efforts extend beyond Rotary as he is also a trustee of ShelterBox UK, which provides disaster relief, and a director of the Safe Blood Africa Project.

The organisation said that as the new president, Babalola will lead the final push to eradicate polio, as well as an increased focus on areas like climate resilience, peacebuilding, and addressing economic and health disparities among other priorities.