Rotary District 9112 Governor commends Ikoyi Metro as the award-winning club outlines fresh community goals for the new Rotary year

Rotarian Layi Abidoye, District Governor of Rotary International District 9112, on Tuesday visited the Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro in Victoria Island, Lagos, commending the club’s leadership, organisational culture and commitment to service as it begins another Rotary year following an exceptional award-winning campaign.

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The visit, held at BWC Hotels on July 7, made Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro the second club in District 9112 to host the newly installed District Governor, just three days after he assumed office as the district’s third governor, succeeding Rotarian Lanre Adedoyin.

During Abidoye’s visit to Ikoyi Metro, the District Governor reviewed the club’s administrative workbook, assessed its achievements from the previous Rotary year and discussed its strategic priorities for the months ahead.

Abidoye praised the club’s unity and professionalism after examining its records and listening to presentations from members, describing the organisation as one that had laid a strong foundation for sustained impact.

Assistant Governor Dr Laurine Ubanozie, who chaired the District Governor’s Visit Planning Committee and also serves as the club’s Learning Facilitator and Sergeant-at-Arms, credited teamwork for the successful event despite a compressed preparation period.

“I rate this year’s DG visit ninety per cent, to be fair to myself,” Ubanozie said.

“Planning started late, but teamwork came into play. Everyone pulled their strength, time and commitment together within the shortest possible period. We woke up to the responsibility that the District Governor was visiting us, and I am happy that nothing we had lined up was left undelivered.”

Immediate Past President Alex Chukwu reflected on the club’s remarkable performance during the previous Rotary year, attributing its success to collective leadership rather than individual accomplishment.

“I feel elated that the global and district recognitions the club received happened during my tenure,” Chukwu said. “But this is not about me alone. I worked with people and only provided the leadership required, and I was able to motivate people to get the desired result.”

Chukwu disclosed that Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro emerged first in seven out of 10 major award categories after an assessment involving more than 90 clubs across District 9112, while placing second in two other categories.

The club also recorded the district’s highest contribution to the PolioPlus campaign, donating US$136,000, while Chukwu emerged the highest individual donor during the Rotary year.

“There was no magic formula, only intentionality,” Chukwu said. “At the start of the year, our Public Image Director, Rotarian Toyin Ojo, told me she wanted the club to come first in public image. She worked towards it and achieved it.”

Past District Governor Ify Ejezie described the recognition as a proud moment for the club and expressed confidence that the achievements could be sustained.

“I am elated that our club came best overall in the last Rotary year, and glad the District Governor and his team were able to visit us,” Ejezie said.

“We did not let him down. We stayed true to our slogan, the Pride of Rotary, and I am confident we will repeat the feat, if not surpass it, this Rotary year.”

Club President Emeka Nwosu said the visit established an important benchmark for the new Rotary year, noting that the District Governor commended the club’s sustainability plans while offering guidance on areas requiring further improvement.

“Today is significant, as we have started the new Rotary year with an impactful visit from our District Governor, Layi Abidoye, in line with Rotary’s ethics and standards,” Nwosu said.

“He reviewed our workbook and commended the club for its culture and sustainability plans, while advising us on areas to improve. He also commended us for being the first club to pay our District dues.”

President-elect Anita Ugochukwu also attributed the club’s continued success to its collaborative culture.

“Everyone at Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro is in sync, as we align with the vision we have set,” Ugochukwu said. “It is easy to fit in here because it is about everybody’s ideas, not one person’s idea.

The success we see today is a collective effort.”

One of the visit’s notable highlights was the club’s continued investment in education.

In keeping with its longstanding tradition, Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro presented ₦250,000 scholarships to each of its three adopted public schools:

Ireti Senior Secondary School, Girls’ Secondary Grammar School and Government College, bringing the total educational support announced during the visit to ₦750,000.

The scholarships reinforced the club’s focus on community development, complementing its wider humanitarian activities beyond recognition and awards.

Abidoye’s visit also reflected the broader vision he has outlined for Rotary International District 9112.

The District Governor has prioritised the establishment of a specialist eye hospital in Imota, teacher training programmes across Lagos and Ogun states, and the creation of a media centre to amplify Rotary’s humanitarian work and public engagement.

Rotary International is a global service organisation with more than 1.4 million members committed to addressing challenges in healthcare, education, peacebuilding, economic development and disease prevention through volunteer-led community projects.

District 9112 oversees Rotary clubs across Lagos and Ogun states, where members implement initiatives aligned with Rotary’s international mission.

Having concluded the previous Rotary year as the district’s overall best-performing club, Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro now faces the challenge of sustaining its impressive record.

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Members expressed confidence that maintaining the standards that earned widespread recognition, while expanding community impact, would remain the club’s defining objective in the year ahead.