Babalola sets 2030 membership goal, urges Rotarians to ‘do better than their best’

Rotary International President-elect Olayinka Hakeem Babalola challenged Rotarians around the world to step up their membership growth and retention efforts, setting an ambitious goal of 1.25 million Rotarians and 125,000 Rotaractors globally by 2030.

Babalola launched the role by outlining his vision for the organization, urging members to surpass previous achievements and strengthen Rotary’s ability to create lasting impact in communities.

“As Larry said, we have a goal of 1.25 million Rotarians and 125,000 Rotaractors by 2030. Every new member represents a person who hasn’t had their Rotary story yet. They’re out there. And they’re waiting for us to welcome them,” he said.

The incoming president of Rotary International challenged clubs to surpass their historical record in recruiting and retaining members.

“So here’s my challenge to you: Look back at the last five to seven years in your club. Find the best year for membership growth and retention. Then do your best,” he said.

Babalola described Rotary as a transformative movement that changes lives through service, friendship and leadership, urging members to share their personal experiences to attract new generations to the organization.

“Every Rotary member has a story, a moment when friendship and service stopped being what you did and became who you are,” he said.

“I want us to tell more stories about how Rotary has changed each of us. Because when we do that, we show the world that Rotary is more than a service organization. It’s a transformative experience.”

Drawing on his personal journey of more than 40 years in Rotary, Babalola shared how a literacy project he participated in as a young Rotaractor shaped his lifelong commitment to service.

“My club undertook a literacy project when I was a young Rotaractor. We were helping adults in my community learn to read and write. During that project, I saw a woman hold a piece of paper and read her name for the first time.

“That moment redirected me. I was no longer simply a young man with opportunities. I was a young man with a responsibility to extend those opportunities to others,” he said.

Babalola revealed that “Creating Lasting Impact” will be the theme that will guide his presidency, stressing that Rotary must focus on sustainable change rather than short-term results.

“In Rotary, we give members a place to belong. We help keep students in school. We run vaccination campaigns that protect children. These results are real and matter deeply. But creating a lasting impact poses a more difficult question: What happens next?” he said.

According to him, Rotary’s future growth must be anchored in meaningful service, peacebuilding and community transformation.

“Peace must be pursued deliberately. It must be integrated into the design of what we do, not regarded as a by-product,” he said.

He cited Rotary’s peacebuilding efforts in Colombia as an example of how the organization is helping communities recover from conflict through leadership development, economic empowerment and reconciliation initiatives.

Babalola also paid tribute to Rotary’s past leaders, especially his late friend and mentor, SangKoo Yun, whose leadership philosophy as “one link in a strong and unbroken chain” continues to inspire the organization.

“Together, we are an unbroken chain, and to grow, we must create new links in that chain,” he said.

As he prepares to take office, Babalola called on Rotarians around the world to seize the opportunity to expand Rotary’s reach and deepen its impact.

“This year is our turn to forge the next link in that chain. Our turn to be changed by Rotary. To build the future we wish to see. To pursue peace deliberately. To create lasting impact – around the world, in our communities and in ourselves,” he said.