Nigerian Trailblazer Pearl Okoro Joins Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees

Pearl Ijeoma Okoro, a Nigerian, has been elected to the Rotary Foundation (TRF) Board of Trustees for the 2024-2028 term.

Okoro, a member of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, will begin her tenure on July 1, 2024. She will join an esteemed group of leaders dedicated to managing Rotary’s charitable arm, which funds global service activities.

She brings a wealth of experience to the board, with a 30-year career leading transformation, market development, and management in the insurance industry.

Okoro holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre and a postgraduate degree in management, having also studied at Lagos Business School. Her professional journey is complemented by her commitment to community service and empowerment.

Okoro founded the Romanus Emeanuru Foundation for Empowerment and Education Development in honour of her late father, focusing on women’s empowerment.

She is an active volunteer with the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, a humanitarian organisation, and a dedicated member of the Knights of St. John International, a Catholic fraternal service group.

Her leadership extends to her role as the charter president of her chapter of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association and as a patron of the Egbu Women’s Association.

Since joining Rotary in 1999, Okoro has made significant contributions, serving as an RI learning facilitator, assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, endowment/major gifts adviser, and regional vice chair of the End Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign Committee.

She has been integral to the Nigeria PolioPlus Committee and the Rotary Foundation Programs Committee. Okoro’s efforts in preserving Rotary history led to the creation of the Africa zone group of the Rotary Global History Fellowship.

One of Okoro’s proudest moments came when the World Health Organization certified Nigeria as polio-free during her term as End Polio Now zone coordinator.

Reflecting on this achievement, she says, “This was a defining moment for me. We introduced strategies to create awareness and raise funds.”

Her passion for creating lasting change is evident in her belief that “giving is not an exclusive right of the rich.”

Recognised as one of the “five Rotary women leading the fight to end polio” in 2019, Okoro has received a certificate of appreciation from the Foundation, Rotary’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

Okoro’s interests include travel, singing, dancing, and gardening. She and her husband, Kingsley, are both Rotary Foundation Major Donors, Bequest Society members, and benefactors. Their two children are also Paul Harris Fellows.

Okoro will serve alongside Mark Daniel Maloney, the Rotary Foundation Trust chairman, and fourteen other trustees, bringing her unique perspective and dedication to the Rotary Foundation’s global philanthropic efforts.