Osinbajo at Rotary International Conference in Port Harcourt, advocates selfless service

Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s immediate past vice president, has advocated the virtue of selfless service especially in developing nations.

Speaking as special guest at the ongoing Rotary International Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the former Vice President said Rotary was in the best position to preach selfless service.

The law professor was the special guest at the Rotary International District 9141 Conference held on Friday, May 9, 2025 at the Obi Wali Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The conference, themed; ‘The Magic of Our Connections: The Imperative and Privilege of Service,’ brought together Rotarians from across the region to discuss community development and humanitarian service.

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Osinbajo declared the event open and was conferred with an honorary Rotarian title, the highest recognition bestowed by Rotary on an individual, in acknowledgment of his commitment to public service and nation building.

In his keynote address, Osinbajo emphasized the urgent need for a renewed culture of selfless service, especially in developing nations.

“Service is an attribute that Rotary can and must actively teach the world,” he said. “Rotary has, for over 110 years, propagated the spirit and practice of service, and today it remains one of the world’s foremost humanitarian organizations.”

He commended Rotary’s global network of 1.2 million volunteers in over 35,000 clubs spread across more than 200 countries, praising their impact in areas such as peacebuilding, health, education, and access to clean water.

He also highlighted Rotary’s efforts in Nigeria, particularly in education, healthcare, and community development.

Touching on leadership, Osinbajo called on elites to view their privileges not as marks of superiority, but as debts owed to society.

“The only honest way to repay this privilege is through service,” he asserted.

He went on: “There is no great nation that has not, at some point, had elites who put service above personal gain.”

He drew lessons from countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, which he said have built strong social systems because of leaders who governed with a deep sense of moral responsibility.

“Leadership must be seen as a privilege, one that carries the burden of people’s hopes and potentials. When exercised with vision and humility, leadership becomes a powerful force for transformation,” he stated.

Osinbajo lamented that despite the abundance of talent in Africa, many of its societies still suffer from the underutilization of those talents for public good. “We must ask ourselves whether we are using our influence and education to uplift our communities or simply for personal advancement,” he said.

He reaffirmed the relevance of Rotary’s mission in today’s world. “In a world often divided by self-interest, inequality, and conflict, Rotary stands as a powerful example of what it means to serve the public good, quietly, consistently, and globally.”

The conference brought together dignitaries, development partners, and Rotarians committed to promoting peace and advancing humanitarian causes across Nigeria and beyond.