Those in attendance at the 2026 International Convention n Taipei were impressed at the incredible background and family participation of R.I. President Olayinka “Yinka” H. Babalola. The eldest of six children, he was born in Ibadan, one of the largest cities in Nigeria. His mother was a teacher and his father an accountant. When asked by the public image director of his college, a member of the Rotary Club of Bauchi, if he’d help organize a Rotaract club. Babalola became the club’s charter president.

After graduating with a degree in electronics engineering, he spent a year working in the National Youth Service Corps. While training for that role, he gathered everybody together and started a mini Rotaract fellowship. At the start of his year with the Corps, he joined a Rotaract club. When his year ended and he began his career with  the Nigerian branch of the Shell oil company, he joined the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi. Through his Rotary participation, he met his wife, the first female president of her university’s Rotaract club and now a member of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Passport.

As they were introduced on stage in Taipei, we saw how Yinka’s involvement in Rotary has spread throughout his entire family, as each one’s participation in Rotary was highlighted.