Rotary Club leaders have been urged to redouble efforts in the fight against polio and broaden their reach by integrating healthcare services into underserved communities across Nigeria.
This call was made by Dr Oritseweyimi Ogbe, Secretary of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund Ministerial Oversight Committee (BHCPF MOC), during the investiture ceremony of the 27th President of the Rotary Club of Wuse Central, held in Abuja.
Dr Ogbe noted Rotary International’s historic leadership in the global polio eradication movement and encouraged the organisation to remain steadfast in that mission, while also championing broader public health causes.
“Polio must remain Rotary’s number one agenda globally,” he stated.
“But beyond polio, Rotarians must offer integrated healthcare, educate communities, and give hope to the underserved.”
He urged Rotary leaders to engage in more community outreach, promote public trust in vaccinations, and ensure immunisation remains a priority.
“In everything you do, put health on the agenda. Put immunisation on the agenda. Make sure children receiving vaccines is on your agenda,” he added.
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“That is how we can all contribute to making the world a better place.”
Dr Ogbe further called on other philanthropic and civic organisations to emulate Rotary’s four-way test, which emphasises truth, fairness, goodwill, and benefit to all.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary of the Women Affairs Secretariat (WAS), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), described this year’s Rotary International theme, Unite for Good, as closely aligned with the government’s Renewed Hope agenda.
She said the theme was both a message and a mission—urging people to unite in action and form impactful teams that deliver tangible results within their communities.
“It’s about building teams and scaling those teams to provide help through clearly articulated and actionable strategies,” she said.
“That kind of unity can power national transformation from the grassroots up.”
Benjamins-Laniyi commended Rotary for translating international ideals into local action and emphasised the power of individual contributions in achieving lasting change.
She encouraged women and young people to step up in service: “Be the best woman you can be—invest your talents, your network, your qualities. Just be the best you.”
In her acceptance speech, Dr Folashade Samuels, the club’s 27th and first female President, described her election as a moment of great joy and purpose.
She reflected on Rotary International’s journey since its founding in 1905 by Paul Harris, and its evolution into a global network of individuals dedicated to service.
“We are architects of peace, healers of the sick, educators of the young, and champions of sustainable communities,” she declared.
Dr Samuels pledged to build on the legacy of her predecessors by deepening partnerships, expanding community impact, and embracing innovation.
She said the club’s activities in the coming year would be guided by the Unite for Good theme. “It’s a powerful call to action—a reminder that our collective strength is greater than the sum of our individual efforts.”
Expressing appreciation to her fellow Rotarians and especially to her husband for his unwavering support, Dr Samuels concluded: “Together, there’s no limit to the good we can achieve.”