Rotary Club installs LASU don as president
The Rotary Club of Omole-Golden, District 9111, on Saturday, installed public health physician and academic, Dr Omowunmi Bakare, as its 23rd president for the 2026–2027 Rotary year.
At the investiture ceremony, which was held at the Excellence Hotel Conference Centre, the new administration pledged to focus on sustainable interventions in healthcare, education, economic empowerment, environmental protection and community development.
Bakare said her administration would seek to translate Rotary’s service philosophy into projects capable of producing benefits beyond her tenure.
The new president, who had been a member of the club for about 15 years after beginning her Rotary journey as a Rotaractor at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said she regarded her elevation as both an honour and a responsibility.
“Standing before you as the 23rd President of the Rotary Club of Omole-Golden is an honour that fills me with immense gratitude, deep humility, and a profound sense of responsibility,” Bakare said in her acceptance speech.
She added, “My journey in service began decades ago as a young Rotaractor at the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba.
“It was at that institution that the spark of community service was lit. Over the past 14 years with the Omole-Golden family, that spark has grown into a lifelong flame.”
Bakare, an Associate Professor at the Lagos State University College of Medicine and Consultant Public Health Physician, said she would bring her professional experience into the leadership of the club, promising to be personally involved in its programmes.
“I will lead from the front. I will not ask of you what I am unwilling to give myself,” she said.
“I will bring my energy as a diligent physician, my strategic focus as an academic, and my heart as a humanitarian to the front-line of every project, every meeting, and every challenge we face.”
She, however, acknowledged that the success of her administration would depend on the participation of members, urging them to contribute financially, recruit quality members and take an active role in the club’s activities.
According to Bakare, the club’s strength was not merely its membership but its ability to convert collective commitment into measurable community impact.
“We are a big and beautiful family, and our strength lies in our unity,” she said.
The president anchored her administration on Rotary International’s 2026–2027 theme, “Create Lasting Impact,” saying the emphasis would be on interventions that continued to benefit communities after the end of her tenure.
Impact is not just about what we do today; it is about what remains tomorrow. It is about implementing sustainable service projects that continue to change lives long after our tenure has ended,” she said.
She identified disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, water, sanitation and hygiene, economic and community development, environmental protection, basic education and literacy, as well as peace-building and conflict prevention and resolution as priority areas.
Bakare said her background in public health would inform the club’s health interventions, while its existing economic empowerment initiatives would be expanded.
“Drawing from my background in public health, we will strengthen our health advocacy, preventive care, and health and wellness initiatives,” she said.
On economic empowerment, she said the club would seek to expand its microfinance schemes “to empower local entrepreneurs and alleviate poverty.”
She also promised greater attention to environmental sustainability through recycling, reuse and repurposing, alongside interventions aimed at improving learning conditions for children.
The installation came after the club had recorded a series of activities since the beginning of the Rotary year on July 1, including a visit by the District Governor, micro-credit support for entrepreneurs, a health and nutrition seminar at Ifako General Hospital focused on maternal and child health, and sponsorship of more than 10 young participants for the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards programme.
The club also received recognition as the first-place Best Supportive Club at RYLA 2026, highlighting its contribution to youth leadership development.
The Investiture Committee Chairman, Fatai Lasisi, said the ceremony represented more than the transfer of leadership.
“This investiture is not just about celebrating a new president; it is about renewing our commitment to Service Above Self and mobilising greater support for projects that will create lasting impact in our communities,” Lasisi said.
He urged “individuals, organisations and friends of Rotary to join us in making this new chapter truly remarkable.”
The fundraising component of the event was targeted at supporting the club’s interventions in healthcare, education, youth and women empowerment, environmental sustainability and community development.
Bakare, while acknowledging the contribution of past leaders to the club’s development, said her administration would build on the foundation they had established.
“You built the legacy. You laid the bricks of compassion, mobilised resources, and built a sanctuary of service,” she told past leaders, adding that their work had provided “a solid foundation upon which to build the next chapter of our story.
She also charged members to pay their annual subscriptions promptly, describing their financial commitment as “the fuel that runs our machinery of service.”
She further called for the recruitment of “high-quality, professional, and service-minded individuals” and urged existing members to participate actively in meetings and committees.
“Please do not just be a member on paper,” Bakare said. “Attend meetings either physically or virtually, join and be active in a committee, share your brilliant ideas, and bring your unique professional skills to the table.”
With more than 100 active members, the Rotary Club of Omole-Golden said the new administration would build on its existing humanitarian work while pursuing projects designed to produce longer-term benefits for communities.
For Bakare, the objective was ultimately to ensure that the club’s work was measured not by the ceremonies attached to its leadership changes but by the lives improved through its service.
“Let us write a chapter of resilience, compassion, and definitive impact,” she said.