I am honoured to be the President – Hajia Aisha Abimbola, President, Rotary Club, Isolo

Quiet, pleasant, deeply perceptive, beautiful, and amiable, Hajia Abimbola is the newly-installed President of the Rotary Club of Isolo. She spoke to The Podium Magazine’s Ademola Akinbola about her plans and priorities.

Tell us more about yourself

Hajia Abimbola is a Sales Consultant with Mikano International Limited, a reputable international company that partners with some giant energy, lighting, and construction companies globally. I am also the CEO of Kimkab Global Resources Limited, an event/facility management company situated at Ikeja. I am a mother of two glorious seeds, a girl and a boy. I had my primary and secondary education at Ikeja, Lagos. I had my Diploma in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife before proceeding to the University of Abuja to acquire my degree and postgraduate courses in Arts. I have also obtained many professional certificates to update my knowledge and hone my skills.

Which words best describe you and your personality?

The best description of my personality is my goal getting spirit. I am a team player and I don’t tolerate mediocrity. I believe that all my focus and attention must be on the ultimate prize! I am gentle, tolerant, perceptive, considerate, and amiable. I believe that we all exist for each other; hence I like to support people and help them to achieve their goals. I like to see people around me succeeding and progressing. The sky is big enough for all of us to fly and excel.   

How do you feel being the next President of the Rotary Club of Isolo?

I feel elated because I have learned from the best. I have worked assiduously and closely with the Immediate Past President who is based abroad, and with other members of the Club to build a world that deserves our best, where we get up each day knowing that we are making a difference in our communities. Becoming the president is a thing of respect and honour for me.

What will be your focus and priority areas?

The fact is that Rotary International has a template that all Districts and Clubs follow. There are monthly projects that must align with the theme of each Rotary month. For Instance, the month of July’s theme is Maternal & Child Health. It means that every club must carry out community-based projects in line with the theme. So it goes for other months. Besides the monthly theme project, the club also has an ongoing Star project which is the Rotary Club of Isolo Cervical Centre. It is at the Isolo General Hospital. Hopefully, it will be completed and fully equipped before the end of the Rotary year in 2024.  As I said, the comfort of the people in our community is our watchword!

The theme of this Rotary year is CREATE HOPE IN THE WORLD. So my focus is going to be on the downtrodden. That is why I am taking my first project of the year to the Federal Government School for the Blinds.

What has been your experience in Rotary Club?

I have had a rollercoaster of experience in Rotary, and I am glad that all put together have shaped me to be better. Life itself is full of bitter-sweet experiences and it is nice if we can use the bitter experience(s) to work on ourselves.

How do you intend to make the club more effective and impactful?

I will try as much as possible to make recruiting the top priority in my club. You know l can’t do everything as a club president, and knowing that gives me some freedom to focus on the most important thing.  Having new members with new energy will help me have more people to raise money for The Rotary Foundation, serve on my committees, and invite additional members, I mean more smiling faces to our meetings and fun events. I have let my members know that this is the top priority so they are willing to help. You would agree with me that what makes a successful Rotary Club to sustain and increase its membership base is making sure that the composition of club membership reflects the diversity of the community in which it exists in terms of classification, age, gender, ethnicity, and other personal characteristics.

What does success mean to you? What does it look like?

To me, success is accomplishing my goal. It means moving out of my comfort zone and taking on new challenges that can lead to growth and personal development. I feel fulfilled after doing a day’s work and knowing that I have impacted somebody else’s life through my work. My success principle is that I move from DREAM to DO and I try as much as possible to live into the BEST of me.