The Rotary International Board of Directors has selected Olayinka Hakeem Babalola of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Rivers State, Nigeria, as the organisation’s 2026-27 president.
Babalola will be the second Nigerian to hold this esteemed position, after Jonathan Majiyagbe,SAN OFR, who served as Rotary International president in 2003-04. Babalola will be leading Rotary’s global network of 1.4 million members. He will succeed the current president, Francesco Arezzo, in this role. The Board, guided by the RI code of policies, conducted a special session to select the organisation’s leader after the resignation of RI President-elect SangKoo Yun, who decided to step back from his Rotary responsibilities and focus on his recovery from recent cancer treatment.
“Olayinka Hakeem Babalola embodies the spirit of Service Above Self. His extensive experience and commitment to humanitarian causes make him the ideal choice to lead our organisation. We are confident that under his leadership, Rotary will continue to make a profound and lasting impact on communities worldwide,” said Rotary International President, Francesco Arezzo.
Babalola began his Rotary journey in 1988 as a Rotaractor. He joined the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi six years later. His leadership roles include serving as district governor (2011-12), RI vice president (2019-20), and member of the RI Board (2018-20). He was also an active leader and participant in RI committees such as the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee (2017-23) and the Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee (2013-present, adviser 2016-present).
An attorney, Babalola, received a university degree in engineering in 1988. He has worked for 25 years in the oil and gas industry, holding senior positions in Shell PLC and carrying out projects on four continents. He is the founder of two companies: Riviera Services Ltd., an oil and gas infrastructure delivery company, and Lead and Change Consulting, an executive coaching and organisational performance advisory group.
Babalola’s professional affiliations include the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Institute of Safety Professionals, and the Association of Change Management Practitioners. He is a member of the Jericho Business Club, an organisation in his home city that provides input to governments on economic and social policy.
Babalola and his wife, Preba, live in Port Harcourt. He supports The Rotary Foundation with a named endowment and as an Arch Klumph Society member. A trustee of ShelterBox UK and director of the Safe Blood Africa project, he is a recipient of the Africa Centennial Heroes Award, the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World, the RI Service Above Self Award, and the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service.
The president of Rotary International serves a one-year term, presiding over the Board of Directors and providing inspirational leadership for the organisation. As the spokesperson for the global network, the president visits clubs around the world to promote Rotary’s values and represent the organisation at major events. Rotary chooses its president from members who have demonstrated extensive leadership experience within Rotary, including service as a club president, district governor, and member of the Board.
