The International President-elect of Rotary International, Olayinka Babalola, has charged Presidents-elect of clubs under Rotary International District 9111 to prioritise membership growth, impactful service projects, and sustainable leadership as they prepare to assume office in the next Rotary year.

Babalola gave the charge during the opening of the two-day Presidents-elect Learning Seminar (PELS) held in Lagos, where incoming club leaders were equipped with strategies to strengthen their clubs and deepen Rotary’s humanitarian impact.

Addressing the Presidents-elect, Babalola emphasised that the future relevance of rotary clubs depends largely on their ability to attract new members and sustain vibrant participation.

According to him, membership growth remains a fundamental responsibility of incoming leaders, stressing that any club that fails to admit new members risks gradual extinction.

“My special message to the presidents of rotary clubs here today is that if we don’t do the work now by bringing in new members, when will we do it? This is the time to act and bring in more members,” he said.

He urged the leaders to focus on self-improvement within their clubs rather than comparing themselves with others, encouraging them to surpass previous records in membership growth and fundraising.

Babalola advised Presidents-elect to review their clubs’ achievements over the last seven years and set realistic goals that exceed past performance.

“If the best your club has done in membership growth is six, challenge yourself to achieve seven during your tenure. If the highest funds raised was $5,000, aim to raise slightly higher. The goal is to become better than your best,” he said.