By Ademuyiwa Balikis
Nigerian Rotarian, Yinka Babalola, has been elected as the President of Rotary International for the 2026 to 2027 Rotary year, marking a historic moment for Nigeria and Africa on the global stage.
Babalola, who will officially assume office on July 1, 2026, becomes the second African and second Nigerian to hold the position. The first was Jonathan Babatunde Majiyagbe, who served as President in 2003 to 2004.
His election follows the resignation of SangKoo Yun, who stepped down due to health reasons. The Rotary International Board of Directors subsequently chose Babalola as the new President-elect.
Babalola’s journey with Rotary began in 1988 when he joined as a Rotaractor before becoming a full Rotarian in 1994. Over the years, he has served in several leadership capacities, including District Governor between 2011 and 2012, Rotary International Vice President in 2019 to 2020, and as a member of the RI Board of Directors from 2018 to 2020.
Beyond his service in Rotary, Babalola is an engineer and attorney with over 25 years of professional experience in the oil and gas industry. He worked with Shell PLC across four continents in senior management roles before founding Riviera Services Ltd., an oil and gas infrastructure company, and Lead and Change Consulting, a firm specializing in executive coaching.
His contributions to humanitarian causes are equally notable. He has been active in the End Polio Now initiative, served on Nigeria’s National PolioPlus Committee, and supported The Rotary Foundation as a member of the Arch Klumph Society. He is also a trustee of ShelterBox UK and a director of Safe Blood Africa.
Babalola has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Africa Centennial Heroes Award, Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award, and the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service.
His emergence is widely seen as a boost for Nigeria and Africa’s representation in global humanitarian leadership, underscoring Rotary’s commitment to inclusive leadership and service.
