Each Rotary year the Rotary International President gets to choose what his theme for his year as president will be. Earlier this month at the District Governor Elects International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, RI President Elect, Olayinka H. Babalola, a member of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Nigeria, announced his theme for 2026-2027. He called on members to "Create Lasting Impact" by making their clubs more welcoming, carrying out impactful projects, and allowing their Rotary experiences to transform them personally and he described how joining a Rotaract club as a teenager enlarged his perspective beyond the limited, privileged outlook he’d once had. That change in awareness came from observing the lasting impact his club had in the community, particularly from teaching people to read and write.
He said: “Rotary has changed us. It has shaped who we are and made us better people. We often talk about changing the world. We talk about ending polio, about building peace. We do not think enough about how Rotary transforms us. As members of Rotary, we share a vision of a better future. To make this vision a reality, we must acknowledge and unleash the change within ourselves. We must focus not only on outcomes, but on impact."
