From Royalty to Rotary, Prince Henry OlubowaleAkinyele Unveils Bold Vision as Gov of District 9111 – THISDAYLIVE

First of all, I am so excited. I’m so happy that God has spared our lives to see this day. I envisioned a district that is well-grounded in our communities in terms of impactful projects at the end of the year. Of course, I envision a district that is more strengthened, particularly in terms of membership and raising funds for our foundation. What we are doing here is bringing an opportunity to the door of members of our society in terms of public image. So, those are some of the expectations for the year.

Globally, are there changes this new Rotary year that are different from the last Rotary Year?

Thank you very much. I must first say that Rotary missions remain unchanged. Our mission remains; what changes is leadership. There are quite a number of things that will change as we move forward with this number one. There’s always a global shift in various aspects, including technology, focus, and global needs, among others. So, definitely, a team is developed every year to meet global needs. That has made a difference, particularly with the leadership change from the Rotary International area president to the level of industry governors and, of course, club presidents.

With new leadership, everyone brings their creativity, professional experiences, and more into play. With a background spanning 30 years in this organisation and a wealth of experience, one has had the opportunity to be mentored by our past decision-makers, as well as benefit from the experience of being a businessperson. Of course, with a background in someone who is trained as a statistician and audio tester, we expect a lot of creativity, which also enhances our performance. We want to go through here with a focus on impactful projects, and also fund our materials to experience what Rotary is all about.

At the same time, we want to encourage our clubs, which serve in different communities, to undertake bigger and broader projects. We want to encourage them to collaborate, so they can achieve something significant that society can truly feel the impact of. We also intend to extend our collaborations to corporate organisationsfor partnerships, because the government provide all that society needs alone. We want to bring all our resources, including our social capital, together to ensure they can strengthen the district and positively impact society.

No doubt you are looking forward to the July 13 inauguration as the Rotary District Governor.

Anyway, I have assumed office as a district governor from the first of July. You know, like I said, virtually is so structured. I was trying to put a testament. A few seconds after midnight, I was still awake, so I opened my computer system to check my status. I have assumed the role of district governor since the fourth of July.

Why is the ceremony tagged ‘royal installation’?

I have a royal background. Prince Felix Akinyele, my father, the Baba Ewe of African Church Archdeaconry in Ondo, is a descendant of the great Faughwaju Ruling House of Iforeland, the first settlers in the present Ondo Kingdom. Thus, making him a beneficiary of the royal blood of that dynasty. My brother, His Royal Highness, Engr. Raymond Abiodun Akinyele is the current Ekii of Ifore, the traditional ruler of the Ifore Community in the Ondo Kingdom. My mother, the Iya Ijo of the African Church Archdeaconry, Ondo, and the Grand Matron of the African Church, Akure/Ondo Diocese, is from the Leyo Ruling House of the OndoKingdom. But in short, it’s because of the grandeur or the excitement you want to convey through the event that’s reflected in the real installation.

What signature projects should be expected from District 9111 under your leadership?

There are quite a number of projects that need to be done. Clubs are expected to run projects in all these areas and focus areas at the district level. The first step is to monitor clubs to ensure they undertake suitable projects that meet the needs of their community. Organise training and Beijing sessions for club presidents and club leaders. And this we have done before. We have zoomed off it. Yes, we have staff projects. Membership is very key to the district. The more we are, the better we have, so many hands to do the job. Therefore, our network force is going to be our membership. Therefore, it will be a major project for the year.

Additionally, Rotary has a foundation that has been recognised as one of the best in the world by the Chinese community in the US. In fact, for 16 consecutive years, we have received the highest rating as a foundation that will use your money, which is almost the total sum, for the purposes requested. So, we encourage Rotarians to make contributions into this foundation and also to make use of the money in the foundation by assessing every available grant right so as a start project last year, the district initiated a peace study course in collaboration between university and within that short period of one year, we’ve been able to graduate 100 peace scholars at that level.

It’s a three-month programme. We intend to look at the long-term results of this. Let’s assume it’s the next step: 12, 10, or five years. We have about 10,000 peace activators in our communities. When there is peace, everything will be driven. We aim to encourage organisations and partners to make contributions, enabling us to commission this project. We will be running some additional projects. Our club want to do a mass eye screening for students in public schools. Many students in public schools are visually impaired. We will run this project through our clubs. They will identify public schools in their communities and collaborate with all parties involved in this project. We are also going to get sick bays into some of these public schools. Some students, when they are ill, the school ask them to go home.

You have been part of Rotary for 30 years. Please tell us your story up to the point of becoming the second governor of District 9111.

My journey into Rotary, like you said, has spanned over 30 years. It has changed my life, because when you see the structure of Rotary, you understand that if a Rotarian is in any organisation, whether in the church or your spirit, you will discover a trait of leadership in every material. So, I discovered that, because I joined so early, Rotary has been able to change my life in terms of giving back to society. What initially attracted me was the motto: ‘Service Above Self’. But when somebody can serve people above yourself and all that, and it’s beyond religion. So, I looked at it, and it has shaped my life by teaching me how to give back to society, how to lead, and also how to connect with others. It has also built my social capital. The journey has been so much fun. I thank God that we’ve been able to reach this level.

Have you always planned to be a district governor of the Rotary Club?

It wasn’t planned from the beginning, but having progressed through the hierarchy from being a club member to serving as club president, district officers at various levels, and chairing several committees, among other roles. It has really shaped my life. Rotary is truly beautiful because we do a great deal of things for people in need. There are times when we send money. Rotary is deeply involved in the situation in Ukraine, including the plight of those displaced and all related issues. So, people put down their funds to help those they don’t know. That is the beauty of Rotary, and that is why Rotary is different, because when you give to people in your area or street, which is also good, there’s every possibility they will make you a chief. There’s every possibility they want you to make you the CDA chairman, etc.

But in Rotary, you give to someone you don’t even know. If you look at the theme for last Rotary year, it was the ‘Magic of Rotary’ that was the theme for last Rotary year, and when the area president was interviewed, she gave her experience of visiting an African country and commissioning a water project in a village. She noticed that the children in that village looked scared and shocked. They used to go to the stream to get water, so they’ve been. They had seen some people coming to the village to lay pipes, but did not know what was going on. When they opened the pipes and saw clean water gushing out, they were in shock. Last Rotary year, we performed almost 1000 cataract surgeries. As of the last count, about a week ago, we have done over 980 cataract surgeries. There was a 17-year-old girl who was blind because of a cataract in her eyes. It was like magic when she regained her sight after the surgery.

So far, so good. Was there a point at which you felt tired of these things? Have you ever reached a point where you wanted to quit, and what kept you from doing so?

Well, I haven’t experienced that, even though I’ve had to contend with the home front and my business endeavours. One of my staff said, ‘Sir, if you put all this energy you put into Rotary into our business, the company will be on a different level. I have never reached a point of calling it quits; that is the truth.

Many non-Rotarians have different opinions about Rotary. How would you describe Rotary to such people? What does Rotary stand for?

It’s an organisation of professionals, business leaders, and community leaders who come together to positively impact their society and make a difference in the world. Rotary is an organisation where you can build your leadership skills. It equips us with the skills, and then it provides us with the right platform to impact society. What I’m saying, in essence, is that your contribution to a project may not be more than N20,000, but imagine N20,000 in 100 places. So, if you have taken your N20,000 to do a project or to serve someone, you’re not going to be as impactful as when our resources are put together

District 9111 is relatively new. You are the second governor. How do you intend to make it a strong district? How will your academic and professional background impact your role as a district governor?

So yes, I’m a statistician by training. You know, I’ve been in business all over since I left school, I’ve been in business and in different kinds of business. I’m into printing services. I’m into hospitality and, of course, also some logistics, and I do branding as well. When you look at this background, it will be evident that I have extensive experience in project management. This will help significantly in developing projects, including non-fiscal projects, and the statistical background will enable us to analyse the terms very well. So, it will be the analytical side of leadership where we can compare statistics, perform variations, and examine the results. So it’s having this background to assist me in doing that.

What specific activities or programmes do you have for 2025-2026?

Beyond the star project, there are other activities scheduled between now and the end of our tenure. Yes, as you said, by this time next week, on the 13th, we will have the installation ceremony, the one you mentioned earlier. That’s an activity that everybody is looking forward to. Then, throughout the year, we participate in a programme called the Root Exchange, where our youth travel abroad. You go to another district. So, we’re going to run that programme. We are going to run a friendship programmewhere Rotarians will visit other countries.

We’ve lined up series in several countries where they will go and meet another routine; exchange to Kenya, Zurich, the United States, and other places. Next month, we will host the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy. We are able to bring together 300 to 400 young adults, aged 15 to 25, for a camp to train them for leadership roles. It’s about eight to nine days of a leadership campaign. So, all these programmes will run, alongside many other programs, over a year. In Rotary, every year, every month is designated for a specific cause. This July is dedicated to maternal and child health. Next month will be another programme. So, every month, Rotary has programmes designated for execution, in addition to the ones mentioned earlier.