…As New District Governor Owonikoko, promises reform, growth
*Photo L-R: Trustee, The Rotary Foundation 2024-2028, Ijeoma Pearl Okoro, Wife of the District Governor 9127, Hajiya Zainab Owonikoko, District Governor 9127, Engr. Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko, Chairman of the Occasion, Dr. Ahmed Raji SAN, former Governor of Kano state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, during the investiture of the Rotary International District Governor for District 9127, Engr. Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotels in Abuja on Saturday*
Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has called for stronger institutions, effective leadership and adherence to core values as essential ingredients for sustainable development and lasting impact in Nigeria.
Ganduje spoke in Abuja at the investiture of Rotarian Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko as District Governor of Rotary International District 9127, where he praised Rotary as a model of institutional stability built on service, discipline and humanitarian values.
The event brought together government officials, captains of industry, Rotarians from across the country, and friends and family members of the new district governor.
Drawing from his experience in public administration, Ganduje said the challenge facing many developing countries was not the absence of policies but weak implementation structures.
“Successful implementation is only possible when you have strong institutions. We have good policies, but implementation is often faulty,” he said.
“For a sustainable institution, you need strong leadership, rules and regulations, compliance with those rules, and adherence to the core values of the institution.”
He described Rotary as a strong institution whose enduring relevance is rooted in its humanitarian mission.
“The core value of Rotary is humanitarian service,” Ganduje added.
Reflecting on his time as governor of Kano State, Ganduje recalled the resistance encountered during the polio eradication campaign and said decisive measures were necessary to protect public health.
“Parents hid their children under beds, behind their houses and even in the bushes to avoid immunisation. We had to adopt unconventional measures because prevention is better than cure,” he said.
“Eventually, people became convinced, and Kano ceased to be the epicentre of polio.”
Ganduje noted that Rotary’s role was becoming even more critical at a time when Nigeria was grappling with security and economic challenges that required stronger humanitarian interventions.
Speaking after his investiture, Owonikoko outlined his priorities for the new Rotary year, with reform, membership growth, technology adoption and member appreciation at the centre of his agenda.
“My first priority is reform in our district. That process has already commenced,” he said.
“We must increase our membership like never before, leverage technology more effectively and celebrate our members because appreciated members become even more committed to service.”
He reaffirmed Rotary’s commitment to its seven areas of focus, including education, peacebuilding, disease prevention, maternal and child health, water and sanitation, economic development and environmental protection.
“There is no compromise regarding these seven areas of focus. We will continue to pursue them in line with Rotary International’s vision,” Owonikoko said.
In a keynote address on the theme, “Creating Lasting Impact,” Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Dr Aishatu Kabir, urged Rotarians to focus on strategic service, youth empowerment and community development.
Kabir said lasting impact should be measured by lives transformed rather than ceremonies, banners or the launch of new initiatives.
“The real question is: what has changed? Lasting impact is not noise; it is legacy. It is what remains after the cameras leave,” she said.
“It is the child who stays in school, the community that gets clean water, the young person who chooses hope, and the citizen who begins to believe again because leadership became honest and human.”
She described Rotary as an organisation that converts privilege into service, networks into solutions and compassion into action, adding that service initiatives must produce measurable results.
“In Nigeria, we are very good at launching things. We launch committees, programmes and frameworks. Sometimes, by the time we finish launching, the problem has grown older and stronger. Service must go beyond launching; it must deliver,” she said.
Kabir also called for greater investment in young people.
“No country can create lasting impact while leaving its youth behind. Rotary must continue to mentor, train and empower young people as partners in service,” she said.
“Leadership is not always by microphone; it is by presence.”
She paid an emotional tribute to Owonikoko, describing him as a mentor and father figure whose kindness had shaped her personal and professional journey.
“The most powerful impact is not always made public. Sometimes it is made in a labour room, an examination hall, a hospital corridor, or in quiet moments when someone simply says, ‘I am here,’” she said.
“He is a leader who arrives before he is invited, a mentor who sees potential before the world sees success, a builder of people, a giver of hope and a bridge to generations.”
Chairman of the occasion and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ahmed Raji, said Owonikoko’s commitment to humanitarian service reflected the values he inherited from his late father, whom he described as one of the kindest people he had ever known.
“Sikiru is like a kid brother, and humanitarian blood flows in him. I benefited a lot from his father while growing up, and his memory will forever linger with me,” Raji said.
“It is therefore no surprise that he has dedicated himself to humanitarian affairs across the world.”
Raji also reflected on the origins of Rotary International, noting that the organisation, founded in 1905 by Paul Harris and his friends, derived its name from the practice of rotating meetings among members’ homes.
Impressed by the work of Rotarians, the legal luminary jokingly declared his intention to join the organisation.
“I think my coming here today is to enrol my membership. Not with the hope of becoming governor, but to be a floor member,” he said.
In her valedictory address, outgoing District Governor Dr Nky Joy Okoro said clubs across District 9127 executed more than 1,000 service projects during her tenure while increasing membership and contributions to The Rotary Foundation beyond initial expectations.
“You were the driving force of service at the club level. You led with courage, dignity, passion and resilience. Through your exceptional leadership, over 1,000 projects were successfully executed,” she said.
“District 9127 is structurally stronger today because of you.”
Okoro said the district expanded its humanitarian reach through interventions in maternal and child health, education, youth development and polio eradication.
“We touched the lives of mothers and children, empowered vibrant young leaders, strengthened local clubs, supported education, stood defiantly against polio, expanded our collective reach and built lifelong friendships,” she said.
“Leadership changes, but service remains. Titles change, but friendship remains. Rotary years come to an end, but the impact of service continues forever.”