Polio Defeat: Tinubu, Obasanjo Hail Rotary, Seek Deeper Partnership On Healthcare, Education

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended Rotary International for its pivotal role in eradicating wild polio in Nigeria and across Africa.  He described the organisation’s intervention as one of the finest examples of international public health cooperation.

Tinubu therefore called for stronger collaboration between the federal government and Rotary in critical sectors, including healthcare, education, youth development, and community economic empowerment.

The President spoke in Abuja at the presidential inaugural dinner organised in honour of the President International, Rotarian Olayinka Hakeem Babalola.

Represented by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President, said Nigeria remains grateful to Rotary for its sacrifices in the battle against polio.

“Rotary’s leadership in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative remains one of the finest examples of international cooperation in public health. Nigeria understands what it means for a nation once burdened by the wild polio virus to stand free of it through persistence, partnership, science and sacrifice, and we say thank you,” he said.

According to him, Africa and Nigeria in particular remember “the Rotarians who stood firm when the task was difficult, and the road was long. “Millions of African children can live, walk and dream today because people of goodwill refused to surrender,” Tinubu added.

Also at the event, former President Olusegun Obasanjo hailed Babalola’s emergence, describing it as a historic moment for Africa. “Africa is watching. Nigeria is watching. History is watching. And we are proud,”

He recalled that the Jonathan Majiyagbe became the first African presidents of Rotary International in 2003 and urged Babalola to widen the path for more Africans to attain the organisation’s highest office.

Still in his address, Tinubu said the values promoted by Rotary – service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership – align with the ideals of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He said the agenda is focused on building a more just, inclusive and productive nation through investments in education, healthcare, social welfare, youth development and job creation.

“No nation can rise beyond the quality of its human capital, and no reform is complete if it does not improve the life of the ordinary citizen,” he said.

Tinubu stressed that government alone could not achieve national transformation, noting that volunteer organisations and civil society groups had crucial roles to play. “I therefore use this occasion to invite Rotary in Nigeria, and the global Rotary family under President Babalola’s leadership, to deepen partnership with the federal government in key human development sectors,” he said.

The President sought Rotary’s collaboration on primary healthcare, maternal and child health, basic education, literacy, youth skills, and enterprise development.

“If we align Rotary’s culture of community service with the federal government’s policy direction under Renewed Hope, we can create results that are measurable, local and lasting. We can deliver hope not as a slogan, but as a lived reality,” he added.

Congratulating Babalola on becoming the second African to lead Rotary International in its 121-year history, Tinubu said his emergence was “a proud moment for Nigeria and for our continent.”

“This is not merely a personal distinction. It is a national statement that shows that Nigeria continues to produce men and women of competence and character, whose leadership commands global respect,” he said.

The President also commended Rotary International for its contributions to peace, health, education and community development, saying the organisation had demonstrated that “service, sacrifice and impactful results drive the greatest force for change.”

In his speech, Babalola said, apart from EndPolioNow, the organisation has launched a new programme, “Together for Healthy Families and Healthy Communities Challenge,” to address maternal, malaria, and diarrhoea problems in the country.

Babalola said, “Rotary’s greatest achievements are not measured by the meetings we hold or the plans we make, but by the lives we transform and the hope we create. Where is that impact more evident than here in Nigeria. For decades, Nigerian Rotarians have stood shoulder to shoulder with communities, governments, and global partners in one of humanity’s greatest public health campaigns- the fight against polio.

“Through persistence, sacrifice, advocacy, and countless hours of volunteer service, Rotary has helped bring Nigeria and the African continent to the threshold of a polio-free future.

“Until polio is eradicated everywhere, our vigilance must continue, because every child, everywhere, deserves the chance to live free from this devastating disease,” he said.

At the same time, Rotary is addressing another urgent challenge through Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, one of The Rotary Foundation’s Programs of Scale. This initiative is helping to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Abuja, Nasarawa, Gombe and Ekiti States by strengthening health systems, training healthcare workers, and empowering families and communities to make informed health decisions.

Through this programme, Rotary is demonstrating that healthy mothers and healthy children are the foundation of strong and prosperous communities.

“We are taking another bold step through the Healthy Communities Challenge, an initiative designed to tackle some of the most significant threats to community health, including malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, and pneumonia, with pilots in Kebbi and Akwa Ibom states.

“By focusing on prevention, education, and community engagement, Rotary is helping to build healthier, more resilient communities across Nigeria.

“These three initiatives tell a powerful story. They show Rotary at its best- solving problems, building partnerships, and creating sustainable change. They remind us that our work doesn’t end with a single project or a single year. We are in the business of building a better future,” he said.